| Argentina took the first
step towards the creation of a higher sports entity in the continent,
in 1976. However, without support from the military government
then under formation, the local Olympic Committee could not
turn the idea into a reality. So, the president of the Bolivian
Olympic Committee, José Gamarra Zorrilla, assumed the
project of spreading the Olympic ideal throughout South America.
In that same year, he promoted a Congress in La Paz, Bolivia,
and, in partnership with the presidents of the National Committees
of Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Peru founded the South American
Sports Organization (ODESUR) on March 26, 1976, under the auspices
and guidance of Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) - entity
that promotes the Pan American Games and is affiliated to the
International Olympic Committee (IOC), responsible for the Olympic
Games.
The by-laws and regulations of ODESUR were
approved the following year in a second congress, also in
La Paz. In the occasion, it was decided that the entity would
promote the first edition of the South Cross Games - renamed
to South American Games from the third edition on - in Bolivia,
as soon as possible.
However, the first Games of ODESUR
would only be held after the third Congress, in June 1978,
in Santiago, Chile. In the meeting, the regulations of the
Organizing Committee and the program of the Games were approved,
and José Gamarra Zorrilla was assigned as president
of ODESUR as well.
The 15 countries comprising ODESUR today are: Argentina, Aruba,
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Netherlands
Antilles, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Check the list below for the former presidents of ODESUR
| 1976 - 1982 |
José Gamarra Zorrilla |
Bolivia |
| 1982 - 1986 |
Cnl. (R) Antonio Rodríguez |
Argentina |
| 1986 - 1988 |
Juan Carlos Esguep (no terminó
mandato) |
Chile |
| 1988 - 1994 |
Raúl Gamboa |
Perú |
| 1994 - 1998 |
Sabino Hernández |
Venezuela |
| 1998 - 2003 |
Cnl. (R) Antonio Rodríguez |
Argentina |
| 2003 - |
Carlos Arthur Nuzman |
Brasil |
|
