The 1971 Pan American Games were held in Cali, Colombia, from 30 July to 13 August 1971. 2,935 athletes from 32 countries participated in seventeen sports.
The main stadium was the Cali Olympic Stadium. Some events were held in the Coliseo El Pueblo. Boxing was staged in the Plaza de Toros Cañaveralejo, a Cali bullring. Some complaints were made about the barracks-style housing, which was woefully overcrowded. To try to protect athletes from students who had protested the amount of money that Colombia was spending on the games, security-minded officials surrounded the athletes’ village with barbed wire and guards carrying rifles. The overcrowding caused it to be dubbed “Claustrophobia Manor” by athletes. Other concerns centered on mosquitoes, altitude, faulty plumbing, dysentery and pickpockets.
