South American Flame Travels Through Bolivia as Cochabamba prepares for its Games

(ATR) The flame already burns in Bolivia perhaps fending off "the bad spirits" from the next South American Games of Cochabamba.

The ¨Ceremonia del Fuego¨ was held at the temple of Kalasasaya, in the archaeological city of Tiwanaku, 71 kilometers (44 miles) southwest of La Paz.

Tiwanaku is also where the South American Games were born 40 years ago when the Bolivian capital hosted the first edition of that event known then as ¨Cruz del Sur.¨

"These will be beautiful games," says Pérez toAround The Rings shortly before his return to home in Asunción, Paraguay, where he will only be for a few days before traveling back to Cochabamba for the start of the South American Games on May 26.

Until the start of the Games, the torch will travel 4,542 kilometers (2,822 miles) through Bolivia's nine provinces.

"It was very exciting," says Pérez. "In the temple there was a lot of power in the air," added the Paraguayan Olympic Committee president about the indigenous-themed ceremony.

The prayers of the attendees for the future success of the event were even heard in the "Temple of the Stones" as the site is also known where two young people dressed as indigenous heroes of the Aymara ancient culture lit the torch.

Once lit, the South American flame passed into the hands of Perez, who handed it over to Morales, and on to former Bolivian athlete Jhonny Pérez, winner of three gold medals in 1978. The torch was then given to local swimmer Karen Tórrez to begin its two-week journey from Tiahuanaco to its final destination in Cochabamba.

During his speech at the torch-lighting ceremony, a gold medalist in basketball in that event of '78, Martha Gandarillas, allegedly took advantage of the spotlight to ask President Morales for future health insurance and an income fund for retired athletes, according to local press.

Morales did not respond but exhorted the Bolivians to show the hospitality, that according to the Bolivian president, characterizes the country. He also asked his citizens to receive with open arms the future delegations that will participate in the Games.

Bolivia seeks to replicate its performance in the first South American Games it held in 1978 when it captured 106 medals. The 20 gold, 40 silver and 46 bronze performance allowed the Andean nation to ascend to third place in the overall medal table behind only Argentina and Brazil.

CAMERAMAN INJURED IN CEREMONY

In an episode that somewhat eclipsed the festivities of the torch lightning , a cameraman from the public television network fell from a height of three meters to the bottom of the Kalasasaya trench and suffered several broken ribs. The video of the event was obtained by the Bolivian newspaper ¨Los Tiempos¨.

The injured cameraman was transmitting the live passage of former athlete Jhonny Pérez with the torch when he stepped back and lost his balance. Immediately the firefighters at the scene transferred him to a medical center in La Paz.

Before presiding over the ritual of the South American Fire, ODESUR’s president inspected some of the venues of the Games for several days in Cochabamba. He acknowledged the tension that has caused delays in the the completion of the construction of some facilities but nonetheless, Perez reaffirmed his optimism to ATR.

"The truth is that we would have liked the conclusion of some infrastructure with more time," says Pérez. "But we have the certainty that the venues will be ready when the athletes start competing and we can have some excellent Games."

These South American Games have also run into several other missteps.

Cochabamba’s mayor, José María Leyes, has been absent from the latest preparations for the event while he is in prison for alleged embezzlement. Leyes denies the charges.

Also two complaints about possible irregularities in the hiring of companies responsible for the main ceremonies of the Games have been filed in the last hours.

In response, Bolivia’s Minister of Justice, Hector Arce Zaconeta, announced from his Twitter account, an "exhaustive" review of all the contracts for the XI Cochabamba South American Games 2018.

The president of ODESUR declined to comment on both of these cases labeling them as "internal issues of Bolivian politics."

Perez has simply insisted that Bolivia has made "a great effort" to get "some beautiful Games" with "spectacular" scenarios.

ARRIVALS ADVANCED BY ALTITUDE

Cochabamba is located at 2,558 meters (8,392 feet) above sea level which has forced several athlete delegations to travel early to that city to mitigate the effects that altitude causes, above all, in endurance competitions.

The Argentine national swimming team is among the first to arrive to the host city.

Pérez believes that altitude should not be a reason to deny cities such as Cochabamba the opportunity to demonstrate that they can organize successful games.

The president of ODESUR also revealed to ATR that among the sports personalities who have confirmed their presence in Cochabamba are the president of Panam Sports, the Chilean Neven Ilic, the first vice president of ACON and the head of FINA, the Uruguayan Julio Cesar Maglione, and the President of the CACSO, Steve Stoute of Barbados.

Other Latin American members of the IOC are also expected in Bolivia for the games.

A total of 10 sports in the South American Games program will serve as qualifications for the 2019 Pan American Games of Lima or will provide points for the ranking that will promote continental tickets.

The Paraguayan leader Pérez will attend his second regional games in Cochabamba since he assumed the presidency of ODESUR in August 2017 after the South American Youth Games in Santiago, Chile last November

"Those of Cochabamba will be my first big Games," he said.

"The entire ODESUR team is already permanently in the host city," he said. "We are very busy in these last three weeks before the opening."

In these South American Games from May 26 to June 8 will participate athletes from 14 countries in 35 disciplines, 377 tests and 44 scenarios. La Paz will hold the bowling events.

In the countdown toward the Games, Camilo Pérez trusts the gods of Timanaku will do their part to ensure the success of the Games. But he knows that gods, no matter how powerful they may be, at times also... deserve a hand

Reported by Miguel Hernandez.