Did PanamSports mock Colombia by withdrawing the Pan American Games?

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, assured this Saturday that Panam Sports “made fun” of his country by withdrawing the headquarters of the 2027 Pan American Games from Barranquilla because he did it before the deadline for Colombia to pay had expired.

“They made fun of usBecause the agreement they made with the outgoing minister was that there was until January 30 to make those payments. They suspended Barranquilla at least 15 days before that date; “It was a joke for money,” said Petro, in statements from Munich, where he participated on Friday at the Security Conference.

Astrid Bibiana Rodríguez sent a letter to Petro on Thursday presenting her resignation as Minister of Sports, after in January Panam Sports withdraws to Barranquilla, capital of the department of Atlántico (Colombian Caribbean), the headquarters of the Pan American Games for not complying with two payments of 4 million dollars each for the organization rights, for which critics of the Government hold the minister responsible.

According to Petro, the responsibility did not lie with the minister, but with a Ministry official, whom he did not name, who did not make such payments on timebut also blamed the organization for not respecting deadlines.