House committee probes COPUR’s revocation of Luis “Tuto” Bermúdez as flag‑bearer

SAN JUAN — The House Commission on Recreation and Sport pressed the Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico (COPUR) on July 15 over the executive committee’s decision to remove Luis “Tuto” Bermúdez as Puerto Rico’s flag‑bearer for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Sara Rosario, president of COPUR, told the commission that federations nominate athletes, the executive committee selects three finalists and the Pleno votes. Rosario said the executive committee learned after the June 17 Pleno vote of an appeals‑court decision from 2019 that neither the committee nor the Pleno had seen at the time; after consulting legal counsel the executive committee voted on June 22 to revoke Bermúdez’s designation and the Pleno ratified that decision at a subsequent extraordinary meeting. “La decisión del COPUR no constituye una adjudicación de culpabilidad ni de inocencia,” Rosario said, adding that COPUR is not a court and that the original designation was made in good faith with the information available then.

The commission’s authors, including Representative Yorni Navarro Suárez, pressed COPUR on its reliance on an email that had been circulated to media as the triggering source of new information. Navarro asked whether COPUR or the federations perform criminal or background checks before submitting nominees, and whether COPUR verified the provenance of the email before taking action. “¿Ustedes verificaron de dónde salió?” he asked. Rosario replied that the email arrived at COPUR’s public mailbox and to multiple outlets; she said legal staff later located the written appeals judgment that described factual findings relevant to the committee’s assessment.

Members also questioned the timing and the period given to Bermúdez to respond. COPUR said the athlete was contacted by phone and given additional time over a weekend to respond; Rosario said the committee delayed action until the Monday after the weekend to allow a reply, and moved only after receiving no substantive response from the athlete or his federation.

Commissioners sought clarity on whether a substitute flag‑bearer should have been named and on the absence of a written internal protocol requiring background checks. Rosario acknowledged there is no written, standardized protocol for every case and said COPUR will consider drafting formal selection criteria and processes after the Games to avoid similar disputes.

The commission noted that the resolution ordering the review (House Resolution 7‑35) also asked the committee to examine fiscal oversight and transparency for COPUR; Rosario told lawmakers financial documents were delivered to the committee office the prior day and that a separate hearing on finances will be scheduled in August.

What’s next: The commission will continue its inquiry under Resolution 7‑35; COPUR and relevant federations have been asked to supply records and documentation cited in their memorials. The committee did not vote on any measure during the session.