Karen León and Luis Álvarez championed by Venezuela for the CAC 2026 Games

Published at: 21/07/2026 10:58 PM

The judoc Karen León and the taekwondo player Luis Álvarez are the standard-bearers of the Venezuelan delegation that will participate in the 25th edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC), which will take place from June 24 to August 8 next in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic.

The ceremonial ceremony for the award of the national pavilion was held at the Teatro 17 de Abril, located at the Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base (La Carlota), in Caracas, under the leadership of the Sectorial Vice President for Social and Territorial Socialism, Héctor Rodríguez; the Minister of Popular Power for Sports, Franklin Cardillo; the president of the Venezuelan Olympic Committee (COV), María Soto, and the Deputy Minister of High Performance, Henyelberth Herrera.

The banner given to the Criollos will accompany the 552 athletes who will compete in 47 of the sports disciplines included in the Santo Domingo 2026 program.

Sovereignty and Identity

At the beginning of the session, the authorities paid a minute of silence for the victims of the earthquake tragedy of last June 24. Later, Héctor Rodríguez handed over the pavilion to the flag bearers with a reflection on the profound meaning of carrying this patriotic symbol.

“I present the national tricolor, which is a symbol of what we Venezuelans love most, which is our homeland, sovereignty and identity. It is your turn to wear the tricolor at this difficult time; wear it with dignity, strength and pride. Every time you stand in a space of competition, do it for all those children and families who suffered this tragedy,” emphasized Vice President Rodríguez.

Honor for the tricolo r

Under the slogan “All for my flag”, the flag bearers of the national team assured that they took up the challenge with commitment and responsibility to return the tricolor to the top of the podium in Santo Domingo.

“It's a great honor, especially after the tragedy of last June 24; I'm sure we're going to wear the tricolor with the greatest pride we can to bring the joy that the country so badly needs,” said León. The Guianesa is one of the strong cards of the Creole delegation that will defend the country's colors in the 78 kilograms of judo. This will be his first participation in editions of these games; however, he has already competed in the Baku 2018 and Tokyo 2019 world championships.

Commitment made

For his part, Álvarez expressed his intention to give everything for the gold medal in Santo Domingo. “I assume the role of flag bearer with a lot of responsibility. I will work every second and every round to bring me the gold medal. We have done a great job with the coaching staff; let's hope to reap the positive results we want,” said the taekwondo player who will see action on the 87 kilograms.

For Álvarez, this will be his third appearance at the Central American Games. He made his debut at Barranquilla 2018 and five years later he said he was present at San Salvador 2023, where he finished in third place. The commitment now for the Anzoatiguense player will be to exchange bronze for the most precious metal.

Mazo News Team