The meeting, which took place in the Miguel Vicente Arroyo auditorium of the Hurtado headquarters of the UPC, was attended by the general director of the Games, Elmer Jimenez Silva, and the rector of the UPC, Robert Romero Ramirez, who led the academic space with representatives of the business sector of Valledupar and UPC faculty. During the event, topics on sports, inclusion, economy, sustainability and the projection of Valledupar as a smart city were discussed.
“Valledupar will be the epicenter of Paralympic sport in 2026. That forces us to prepare ourselves as a tourist city, inclusive and sensitive, to show the world our cultural, environmental and heritage goodness”, said the director of Parasuramerican Games, Elmer Jimenez Silva, highlighting the alliance with academia and the productive sector of the city. After presenting the inaugural conference: ‘The Parasuramerican Games: sports tourism, smart city vision and inclusion’, Jimenez, highlighted the importance of the fusion between culture, sports and knowledge, considering it as ‘an opportunity for Valledupar to advance towards a sustainable and inclusive city, strengthening the alliance with the UPC and the growth of the territory’
For his part, the rector of the UPC, Robert Romero Ramirez, said that the forum was a space for collective action and vision for the future. “This forum is not only reflection: it is action. From the academy, we reaffirm our commitment to inclusion, sustainability and the educational legacy that the Games will leave in Cesar and Colombia,” said the highest authority of the prestigious university.
The participation of the representative of the economic-productive sector of the city, Carlos Quijano Zequeda, vice president of competitiveness and business strengthening of the Chamber of Commerce Valledupar, as well as Nelly Rosero Castillo, coordinator of the Intercultural Inclusive Education program of the UPC was highlighted. The forum left as main conclusion the great opportunity that the Parasuramerican Games Valledupar 2026 represent for the city, Cesar and the Caribbean region, not only as a sporting event, but as a social project that promotes economic development, promotes inclusive tourism and can mark the beginning towards the consolidation of the capital of the department as a smart city open to the world.
