Falta de Políticas Públicas y Regulaciones en el Ministerio de Salud Frente al Dopaje Deportivo

Abstract

Doping in sports has low media coverage and a reality for Colombia. Beyond neglect, with the rules of competition, the key factor is health. The well-being of the athlete, according to the guidelines of the agencies and organizations that monitor and coordinate aspects related to doping, is fundamental. However, in the case of Colombia, this is not completely fulfilled, since the Ministry of Health has not linked anti-doping norms in its policies, leaving the health status of athletes who use substances for performance enhancement adrift, while other entities, such as the National Anti-Doping Organization, tend to focus more on sanctions and legal aspects than on health-related cases. The voices of the institutions questioned in the investigation were taken into account, in order to know the cause of the lack of regulations and public policies against sports doping, it was essential to establish contact with the former Minister of Sport Luz Cristina López, who due to her profile and position could explain the way in which the Ministry handles cases of athletes who use performance enhancing substances. In addition, Néstor Alejandro Gómez, coordinator of the entity that is directly related to the World Anti-Doping Agency, (the National Anti-Doping Organization) offered statements on the handling of these cases and their respective protocol. To complement the information, the testimony of an athlete affected by an adverse result in an anti-doping test, Moisés Fuentes, was included; the swimmer knew closely the process of sanction and legal conflict, alleging that it all started with a health problem. The opinion from the journalistic and technical point of view was also considered a necessary complement for the investigation, all this by means of interviews with each one of those involved to carry out the respective qualitative analysis. The documentation related to legal aspects in the history of Colombia on sports doping was also questioned and analyzed to achieve an answer to the research approach.