The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended the Olympic Committee of Guatemala on Sunday, October 16.
Last month, the IOC warned that the Guatemalan National Olympic Committee would be suspended if disputes were not resolved by October 15.
“No solution could be found between the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Guatemala and the competent authorities in Guatemala within the prescribed deadlines,” an IOC statement said.
The National Olympic Committee (NOC) has been in dispute with the Constitutional Court of the Central American country over some provisions in the Olympic rules (elections could not be conducted freely following the Olympic Charter).
The suspension by the IOC means that Guatemala’s athletes will not be allowed to represent their country at the Olympic Games and the NOC will be excluded from any IOC funding.
“In the interest of the athletes and the Olympic Movement in Guatemala, the IOC has asked the NOC and the relevant authorities in Guatemala to sit down and find an acceptable solution that will allow the IOC Executive to lift the suspension of the NOC as soon as possible,” the IOC said.
With information from Latina Press