Luis Mejía Oviedo Accompanies Commission Inviting IOC President to the Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games

Lausanne, Switzerland, November 3, 2025. Luis Mejía Oviedo, President of Centro Caribe Sports and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was part of the official commission representing the Organizing Committee of the Centennial Games, the Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games. During the meeting, the delegation formally invited Kirsty Coventry, President of the IOC, to attend the opening ceremony of the regional multi-sport event.

The meeting took place at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. Carolina Mejía, Mayor of the National District and member of the Games’ Organizing Committee, led the Dominican delegation. Also participating were Felipe Vicini, Vice President of the Organizing Committee and President of the Organizing Committee for the 146th IOC Session, and Pablo Valentín, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the Swiss Confederation.

IOC Recognition of Regional Sport

During the meeting, Luis Mejía Oviedo highlighted the importance of the IOC’s support for the Central American and Caribbean Games. He also emphasized that President Kirsty Coventry’s presence in Santo Domingo would be a historic gesture for sport in the region.

He added that this visit represents recognition of the collaborative work of all the countries that make up Centro Caribe Sports.

President Coventry, the first woman and the first African to lead the IOC, expressed her gratitude for the invitation and congratulated the organizers on the progress made in preparing for the event, which will be held in the Dominican capital from July 24 to August 9, 2026.

For her part, Carolina Mejía emphasized that the visit strengthens “the ties between the international Olympic movement and the sporting family of the Caribbean and Central America, reaffirming Santo Domingo’s commitment to the values ​​of excellence, friendship, and cooperation among nations.”