Pan-American Sports Organization / Organización Deportiva Panamericana

PASO / ODEPA flag and motto

The motto surrounding the Olympic rings states: "America Espirito Sport Fraternité"
Dean Thomas, March 23, 2002.

As the creator of the Pan American Games Fan Pages, I can contribute some information about the meaning of the symbols on the PASO flag. The Pan American Sports Organization Flag consists of the PASO logo on a white 1:2 proportioned field. The logo (adopted on 3/9/1954) consists of five concentric circles of yellow, green, white, red, and blue (from the center) around a light blue disc. A blazing torch is superimposed on the rings and disc. The colors of the rings can be found in the flags of the member nations. The games motto "America, Espirito, Sport, Fraternité" is emblazoned in black in a circle around the outer edge of the center disc. The motto is understood to mean "The American Spirit of Friendship Through Sports" The words appear in the 4 languages spoken in the Americas: Portuguese, French, Spanish, and English. The Olympic Rings were superimposed on the torch by PASO in October 1998 to symbolize the link with the Olympic Movement. The name of the organization, in English and Spanish appears in black letters along the bottom of the flag.

The PASO Flag also serves as the Ceremonial Flag at the Opening Ceremonies of the Pan Ameri