Paraguay is a country that concentrates high-level international leadership positions, having Asunción as its headquarters, next to the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport, there is the South American Football Confederation, also known as Conmebol, presided by the Paraguayan Alejandro Domínguez and, next to it, in a large 100-hectare building, the Paraguayan Olympic Committee and ODESUR operate, where Camilo Pérez López Moreira, who governs both institutions, is located.

Camilo Pérez accepted the challenge of assuming the presidency of the COP in 2011, without imagining what destiny would have in store for him in the years to come. His youth and years as a tennis player formed him with a disciplined character, where there was no room for improvisation, except on the court playing. In daily and professional life there is no room for getting stuck in the past or simply not being able to look ahead and set goals. This is his dialogue with SportsIn.

Did you imagine getting to where you are now, being a protagonist and changing the sports mentality of your country?

To tell you the truth, I never imagined it because it was unthinkable to do so when I took over an Olympic Committee with many economic and structural problems, so we had to put the house in order and be able to solve those problems and aim at new goals. I come from the business and leadership world, I was president of the Paraguayan Tennis Association for 7 years and they were very valuable. We had the opportunity to know other realities and to be present in the great tennis events, I feel that there I had a change of perception and I understood that to produce changes it is not only a matter of will and desires, you have to add experiences and knowledge. Then, within the COP we were able to put together teams of very good professionals, we brought what we considered to be the best for this transformation of Paraguayan Olympic sport.

Now in October you have the Special Olympics Latin American Games, an organization sponsored by the Olympic Committees of this part of the continent. What do you expect from these games and how is the COP involved?

First of all, the COP has made itself available to Special Olympics Paraguay, because it is in our statutes to support, collaborate and facilitate other organizations that promote sports. In this particular case, inclusion, but truly, without political overtones, must be at the service of those who are looking for young people with mental disabilities and in some cases also physical, we put everything at the disposal of any conventional event. And, secondly, the COP has a luxury infrastructure at continental level, therefore, our sports venues and those available to the National Sports Secretariat, will be the venues and scenarios for the Special Olympics Latin American Games”.

In July 2025, Asuncion will once again be the sports capital of the Americas and will host the member countries of Panam Sports. How is the organization and details of the II Edition of the Junior Pan American Games going?

The organization is going smoothly, the deadlines have been met on time and on time, of course, we have the legacy of the last South American Games in 2022. We are only going to add two new venues: the first one, at the COP, which is a stadium with a specific capacity, suitable for multiple competitions, and the second one called Arenita, which is at the Sports Secretariat, and we are very close to closing the construction of an international level Aquatic Center to meet all the demands of a highly demanding sport, which we do not have today with the standards established by the International Swimming Federation.

You are a leader who is always looking for new public-private alliances, how is the relationship with the current president of Paraguay, Santiago Peña Palacios?

I had the opportunity to meet him when I was a player and captain of the young rugby team. He is a person who understands and empathizes with the values of sport and, most importantly, understands its problems and the needs of the athletes, coaches and leaders. The truth is that it is easy to talk to the president and put on the table sensitive investment issues and how to face them in order to produce changes in our society through the practice of sport, regardless of whether it is high performance or recreational.

Continuing along the same discursive line, you have indicated that you are going for the Youth Olympic Games of 2030 and also when the postulation for the Pan American Games of 2031 is opened. Does this solid relationship with the government of Peña Palacios motivate you not only as an endorsement of the state to postulate seriously for these two great mega sporting events?

The support of the government is decisive, without them it is impossible to think of bringing world-class events, therefore, this support motivates us, but also commits us to be serious in what we propose as the development of Paraguayan sport. In my sports policy as the Olympic Committee of Paraguay, I have the conviction that the development and growth of a sports country is in the bases, in the youth, in giving them tools that allow them to prepare and compete with the best without fear of failure. The Youth Olympic Games is a transcendental step for our incipient and novice athletes, we feel that we are taking the right steps, without haste, but without stopping, we will host the Junior Pan American Games next year, we want to continue with the Youth Olympic Games and finish this process of almost two Olympic cycles from now on with the Pan American Games in 2031. We feel that we deserve an opportunity because developing countries need to evolve and grow over time and to do so it is very important to have this type of event at home.

Do you have an estimate of the investment required to hold a Youth Olympic Games?

Our estimates and studies indicate that the investment to organize and produce a Youth Olympic Games is around 600 million dollars, but there is also a significant return for the country that is quantified in other areas of the industry.