(ATR) Panam Sports President Neven Ilic is expected to visit Peru in the coming weeks to ensure the country’s political climate does not derail the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.
Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who took office in July 2016, is on the verge of impeachment for his alleged ties to Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. Odebrecht admitted to the U.S. Justice Department in 2016 that it paid $800 million in bribes throughout Latin America, including $29 million in Peru.
Kuczynski has strongly supported preparations for the Pan American Games in the capital, attending official functions with organizers. The Peruvian president also gave the keynote address to the International Olympic Committee Session in Lima in September.
Lima 2019 President Carlos Neuhaus told Around the Rings in exclusive comments that the political climate should not affect preparations for the Pan Ams which are currently operating with an accelerated delivery schedule.
"The Pan American Games are a theme for our country," Neuhaus said. "Peru aspired to host in 2009. In 2013, it presented its proposal again for 2019 and we were winners and that was done during the regime of Ollanta Humala.
"Now we have another president, another mayor, another Olympic Committee and what we have done is to continue with all the procedures," he continued.
Referring to the progress that Lima 2019 has made in the construction schedule, Neuhaus said "we are moving forward very hard."
"We could even surprise and deliver the seven towers of the Pan American Village before February 2019."
When pressed byATR, Neuhaus rejected the possibility that the expected impeachment vote against Kuczynski on Dec. 21 could lead to a decrease in the budget for the Lima 2019 project.
"I do not think it will," he said, "because we already have a budget allocated. That's the one hand. We are executing that budget this year, almost as planned. And next year's budget is already approved, the only issue is to execute it and that is what we have to do."
Neuhaus told ATR a formal visit by Panam Sports leadership was scheduled for January but revealed that Panam Sports chief Ilic and secretary general Ivar Sisniega "are possibly coming a little earlier, to see how we are progressing and because they want to see directly the political issue and address their concerns."
Written by Miguel Hernandez
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