The Bolivarian Games (Spanish: Juegos Bolivarianos, full name Juegos Deportivos Bolivarianos) are a regional multi-sport event held in honor of Simón Bolívar, and organized by the Bolivarian Sports Organization (Organización Deportiva Bolivariana, ODEBO). The event is open to athletes from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. In 2010, the ODEBO decided to include Chile as the seventh member of ODEBO. Except Panama, all other participating countries are Andean states.

History

The first Games were held in 1938 in Bogotá, Colombia for the city's 400th anniversary. They have since been held irregularly, but every four years since 1973, with the most recent edition in Valledupar, Colombia in 2022. Inspired by the events of 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Alberto Nariño Cheyne was the key designer of the idea of a Games to foster unity among the Bolivarian countries through the means of sport. Following the first Games, the Bolivarian Sports Organization was formed as a sub-organisation of the Pan American Sports Organization by six founding members from the respective countries – Jorge Rodríguez Hurtado (Bolivia), Alberto Nariño Cheyne (Colombia), Galo Plaza Lasso (Ecuador), Luis Saavedra (Panama), Alfredo Hohagen Diez Canseco (Peru) and Julio Bustamante (Venezuela). In terms of medals, Peru was dominant in the early years of the competition but Venezuela has consistently been the most successful country since the 1960s. A detailed history of the early editions of the Bolivarian Games between 1938 and 1989 was published in a book written (in Spanish) by José Gamarra Zorrilla, former president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee, and first president (1976-1982) of ODESUR.

Summary

Games

Beach Games

Youth Games

Sports

The following table was compiled based on information extracted from a variety of sources. It should be considered as incomplete. Disciplines from the same sport are grouped under the same color: Aquatics – Cycling – Football – Gymnastics – Underwater sports – Volleyball - Basketball

Nations

Core (6)

ODEBO (Organización Deportiva Bolivariana) / Andean Community (Andean States):

Invited Nations (5)

The invited countries are not members of ODEBO but they are invited since 2013

Central America

Caribbean

South America

Members

ODEBO Members of the National Olympic Committees include:

Medals

Games (1938-2022)

The total medal count for all the Games until 2022 is tabulated below. This table is sorted by the number of gold medals won by each country. The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next, and then the number of bronze medals. Chile, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Paraguay started competing since the 2013 Bolivarian Games.

All time records

Beach Games (2012-2016)

Youth Games (2024)

Sport in Americas