| Name | Organización Deportiva Suramericana |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | ODESUR |
| Founded | 1976 |
All of the South American National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are members of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO). However, that group is somewhat dominated by the North American nations of the United States and Canada. Therefore, in 1976, the president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee, José Gamarra Zorrilla, began the process of forming an organization devoted to promoting the interests of the South American National Olympic Committees. The Organización Deportiva Suramericana (ODESUR) was formed on 26 March 1976, and also began contesting a Regional International Games, the South American Games, in 1978. As of January 2026, the 14 NOCs which comprise ODESUR are Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The Netherlands Antilles have been the 15th member, but they are not eligible to compete anymore after 2010. The current president is Camilo Pérez López Moreira (Paraguay).
Editions of the Juegos Cruz del Sur (1978-1982) and Juegos Sudamericanos (1982-today):
| Tenure | Name | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976—1982 | José Gamarra Zorrilla |  BOL |
|
| 1982—1986 | Antonio Rodríguez |  ARG |
|
| 1986—1988 | Juan Carlos Esguep |  CHI |
|
| 1988—1994 | Raúl Gamboa Aboado |  PER |
|
| 1994—1998 | Sabino Hernández |  VEN |
|
| 1998—2003 | Antonio Rodríguez | ARG |
|
| 2003—2017 | Carlos Nuzman |  BRA |
|
| 2017— | Camilo Pérez López Moreira |  PAR |
