Valledupar, April 22, 2026. The IX Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the Parasuramerican Games Valledupar 2026 held in Valledupar left important advances for the development of the event, after the validation of technical, operative and financial adjustments in the final stretch towards the fairs that will be disputed from July 5 to 16 and in which 1,105 Para athletes from 12 countries of the continent will participate.
During the day, led by the Minister of Sport, Patricia Duque Cruz; the director of the Games, Elmer Jimenez Silva; the president of the Colombian Paralympic Committee, Jose Aldiver Garcia, and sports representatives of the Government of Cesar and the mayors of Valledupar and Agustin Codazzi, mainly reviewed progress of the technical component, the tuning of scenarios and the presentation of the overall budget for the review of the defunding, one of the central axes of the meeting.
The director of the Games, Elmer Jimenez Silva, highlighted the consensus reached on budgetary matters and the decision making that allows guaranteeing the stability of the event. “Today we are happy. We have reached a consensus, we have reviewed several proposals and we have made a decision on financial matters to guarantee the success of the Games. Everything is going smoothly, on time, given the conditions of the event,”
he said.
Also, the director explained that at this stage the budget follow-up is permanent, due to the impact that technical and logistical decisions have on the organization of multi-sport events of this nature and impact. “At this stage of an event of this level, every technical, logistical or sporting decision impacts the budget,” he pointed out.
In turn, the president of the Colombian Paralympic Committee, José Aldiver García, positively valued the technical advances and the validation of the main components of the event. “The balance is positive. Technical aspects, infrastructure, participation of Para athletes and, especially, the budgetary component were reviewed.”
Technical adjustments and important decisions
.The IX LOC made it possible to validate important changes in the sporting development of the event, previously agreed upon in the international coordination spaces. Among them, the relocation of the sport of boccia to the Cultural Center of Vallenata Music (CCMV) and the reduction of one day in its competition calendar, as well as the reduction of days in wheelchair basketball, stand out.
These advances and decisions were previously worked on and approved in coordination with the Americas Paralympic Committee (AmPC), in the framework of the IV Coordination Meeting (CoCom), held the previous week, which guarantees alignment with the international standards of the Parapan American movement.
During the meeting, key aspects of the Games operation – previously validated with AmPC – were also confirmed, such as the proposed Main Press Center (MPC) at the SENA auditorium in Las Flores and the opening and operation of the accreditation center from June 22.
In logistics, 21 hotels and three country houses will be available to accommodate more than 1,400 people, while the volunteer program will select 400 people out of a total of 1,500 preliminarily registered from 11 countries.
Thus, with timely announcements and decisions in spaces of articulation with AmPC, the Ministry of Sport of Colombia, the CPC and the linked territorial entities, the organizational process of the Games is strengthened on a consolidated basis, which positions Valledupar as a national sports reference, after having hosted events such as the Bolivarian Games 2022, South American championships and international competitions in different disciplines.
With a joint investment of the national government, the Governor’s Office of Cesar and the local administrations of the venue and sub-venue, Valledupar 2026 is moving steadily towards the realization of the most important Paralympic event in the history of Colombia.
