From July 24 to August 8, Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, hosts the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games (Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe, JCC). Since the first edition was held in Mexico City in 1926, exactly one hundred years have passed. The Games are older than the Pan American Games (which began in 1951), making them the oldest surviving multi-sport event in the Americas. This competition, where the countries of Central America and the Caribbean meet once every four years, marks its centenary edition right in the middle of the Caribbean Sea.
What happened
This edition features 40 sports and 57 disciplines, with more than 6,000 athletes from 37 countries and territories expected to take part. It is the third time the Dominican Republic has hosted the Games. The main venue is the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium in the capital; the torch relay set out from the National Palace on May 6 and will return to the stadium for the opening ceremony on July 24.
The Games' mascot is "Colí El Barrancolí," a character modeled on the barrancolí (Todus subulatus), a bird endemic to the island of Hispaniola. Projecting the host country's ecosystem and cultural identity onto a mascot has become standard practice at international events in recent years, but the choice of a bird found only on the island lets you glimpse the pride the tourism-driven Dominican Republic takes in its natural heritage. The competition schedule also includes men's baseball, positioned as an event under the umbrella of WBSC (World Baseball Softball Confederation) Americas.
Context: what the hundred-year milestone means
The JCC reaching its centenary is more than an anniversary celebration. It comes at a moment when the international presence of Central America and the Caribbean itself is being questioned. Haiti has gone nearly a decade without being able to hold large-scale elections, and several countries in the region face gang violence, poverty and outward migration. A sporting event will not solve these problems, but it is also true that the Games have historically served as a place where regional solidarity is made visible.
The host, the Dominican Republic, has built international recognition in recent years through baseball (it is among the world's leading exporters of players to MLB) and basketball. Hosting these Games also stands as the culmination of that sports diplomacy.
The question: a games for spectators, a games for the region
From a spectator's point of view, July in Santo Domingo is hot and humid, but the breeze along the coast takes some of the edge off the daytime heat. Between events you can walk the UNESCO-listed Colonial Zone or the seaside Malecón, so the city is drawing attention as a destination that combines sports spectating with cultural experiences. Regional fan travel is also brisk, with visitors expected especially from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia and Venezuela.
For the region, however, the meaning of these Games lies somewhere other than the results on the field. A competition that began a hundred years ago as a way to affirm the bonds of the region — what does it mean in 2026, as political and social divisions deepen? Behind the glamour of the opening ceremony, that question quietly lingers.
My perspective
During my own years living in Costa Rica, in Central America, I was surprised again and again by the sense of unity the people of this region show through sport. There are historical grievances and economic gaps between the countries, and yet inside a stadium another identity — "centroamericano," Central American — comes to the surface. Games like the JCC are, I think, a device that reawakens that feeling once every four years.
Under what circumstances will Haiti's delegation arrive in Santo Domingo? How large a team can Cuba, in the midst of economic crisis, afford to send? Beyond the medal count, there are many countries for whom simply taking part becomes the story. The value of this hundredth-year edition may lie precisely in the fact that 37 countries and territories, each carrying its own burdens, still gather in the same place.
Glossary
Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe = the Central American and Caribbean Games, abbreviated JCC; in the Spanish-speaking world they are also called the "Juegos Centrocaribeños." antorcha = torch, as in the Olympic-style flame; the torch relay is called the recorrido de la antorcha. barrancolí = a small bird endemic to the island of Hispaniola, the model for this edition's mascot.
A games that brings Central America and the Caribbean together has run unbroken since 1926. That it is the Dominican Republic opening the door to its second century is, in itself, a story.
References
- Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe Santo Domingo 2026 (official site) — jcc2026.org
- Santo Domingo 2026 reunirá a 37 países en los Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe (Acento) — acento.com.do
- Guía de los Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe Santo Domingo 2026 (Acento) — acento.com.do
- XXV Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe – Béisbol masculino (WBSC Americas) — wbscamericas.org
※ This article is the author’s commentary based on public information. Please confirm the latest figures, dates and procedures with governments and primary sources. Quotations are kept minimal and sources are cited.