Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.-The 17th Ordinary Assembly of the American Council of Sports (CADE, in Spanish), which discussed key issues for the development of sports in the region, was highlighted as very important for all the countries of the Americas.

This was pointed out by Cuban representative, Roberto León Richard, first Vice President of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder) and Vice President of the Olympic Committee of his country when commenting on the results of the meeting that concluded Saturday after approving the Santo Domingo Declaration.

The attendees defended -he pointed out- the autonomy as well as the independent policy making power of this sports organization in the face of proposals to put it under the tutelage of the Organization of American States (OAS).

Before flying back home, Richard told Prensa Latina that CADE brings together all the countries of the continent, 42 total, contrary to OAS that has 32 member states.

INDER’s deputy head said that a majority of the attending representatives rejected a proposal -presented outside the official program- to put CADE under OAS’ control.

Solid arguments were voiced upholding that such a move would deprive the sports organization of needed independence by subduing it to a political body and the implication this would have on nations excluded from OAS.

Cuba defended -he stressed- CADE’s autonomy and its policy of independent decision making, status that should be respected, and keep from transferring it to another institution in which not all the countries of the region participate.

Within the framework of CADE’s meeting in Santo Domingo, it was also held the 12th Assembly of the Ibero-American Council of Sport that includes Spain.

These events analyzed issues of government policies regarding sport. The delegations evaluated developing programs that could be useful experiences for all the nations of the region.

In this regard, Leon Richard mentioned the program presented by the Spanish delegation on the way that country carries out physical education within its education system, and the role the ministries of Education and Public Health play, as well as the program to attend to high-performance athletes after they finish their sport life.

At the meeting we explained that these programs have similarities with those applied in Cuba and we invited the Spanish delegation to make that presentation in Havana from November 20 to 24 at the VII International Convention on Physical Activity and Sports, AFIDE 2017, that will have as central theme: ‘Sport and Human Development’.