, chairman of the Rio de Janeiro bid for the 2007 Pan American Games. The official bid was submitted in August 2001 during the
Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) General Assembly held in
Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic. In April 2002, following delivery of Federal, State and City Government and BOC letters confirming country, state, city and Brazilian sport compliance with the applicable Games regulations, PASO announced the approval of Rio de Janeiro’s bid. The Bidding Committee then submitted a detailed bid file for the Games. The document was prepared and developed with the assistance of
Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), which had been commissioned by Rio de Janeiro's City Government. In the running to host the 2007 Pan American Games, Rio de Janeiro faced off with the city of
San Antonio,
United States; which previously beat
Houston,
Miami, and
Raleigh to become the American candidate. According to PASO statute and regulations, the host city was selected by direct voting during the XL PASO General Assembly held in
Mexico City,
Mexico, on August 24, 2002. The candidate city that received the simple majority of votes from representatives of the 42 member
National Olympic Committees (NOCs) would be awarded the right to host the competition. The announcement was made by PASO President
Mario Vázquez Raña. Rio de Janeiro received 30 votes against 21 from San Antonio. Marked by a professional strategy that included the showing of city and project videos, Rio de Janeiro's campaign convinced the majority of voters, accounting for a total 51 votes. The 39-member Brazilian delegation erupted into boisterous celebration celebrating the country's highest achievement in terms of sporting event organization. == Torch Relay ==