Santo Domingo 2026: Flame extinguished but spirit 'remains very much alive,' says president

Santo Domingo's XXV Central American and Caribbean Games concluded with a closing ceremony led by Dominican President Luis Abinader. He emphasized the unifying power of sports, stating that the games celebrated talent, discipline, and friendship among nations.

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During this week we have not only celebrated Games. We have celebrated the talent, the discipline, the friendship between our peoples and that marvelous capacity that sport has to remind us that we can compete with all our forces and, at the end, shake hands.

"We have celebrated the talent, the discipline, the friendship between our peoples and that marvelous capacity that sport has to remind us that we can compete with all our might and, at the end, shake hands," Abinader said during his address. The president noted that the Dominican Republic had become a shared home and a stage for countless stories of effort and perseverance.

The games, which marked the 100th anniversary of the event's first staging in 1926, brought together 6,200 athletes from 37 countries. Abinader expressed gratitude to the visiting delegations for their participation and for allowing the Dominican people to showcase their hospitality.

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A few days ago we lit a flame. Today we extinguish it, but its light does not end here; it will remain in memories, in emotions and, above all, in each one of us, in each one of you.

"To all the delegations that have accompanied us, I want to give you thanks. Thank you very much on behalf of the Dominican people. Thank you for coming. Thank you for competing and thank you for allowing us to receive you with open arms and show you the best of this Dominican land," he stated. He also hoped that visitors would carry fond memories of the country's sports facilities, which received over 9 billion in investment for construction and renovation, and more importantly, the warmth of the Dominican people.

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To all the delegations that have accompanied us, I want to give you thanks. Thank you very much on behalf of the Dominican people. Thank you for coming. Thank you for competing and thank you for allowing us to receive you with open arms and show you the best of this Dominican land.

Abinader concluded by officially declaring the games closed with "great satisfaction for a job well done and, above all, with the joy of having lived together a great celebration of sport and our brotherly peoples."

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Because Dominicans have a habit that is difficult to change: when someone enters our house, they soon stop being a visitor.