COPARE — Confederación Panamericana de Remo

What is COPARE?

COPARE, the Confederación Panamericana de Remo, is the continental confederation for rowing in the Americas within World Rowing, the sport’s world federation. World Rowing’s Statutes define the type: “A Continental Rowing Confederation is an association which, in principle, includes all the Member Federations of that continent. The continents shall be the five continents recognised by the IOC.”^[1]

Panam Sports’ report of the Pre Panamericano de Remo, held at Laguna Grande in San Pedro de la Paz, Chile, from 15 to 19 April 2023, named Fernando Ucha as president of the Confederación Panamericana de Remo (COPARE) and quoted him on the confederation’s plans.^[5] COPARE’s own site at copare.org did not resolve when checked on 4 October 2026, so the confederation’s statutes, legal form and description of itself could not be checked against its own documents.

The sport it covers is rowing as World Rowing governs it: classic rowing on still water, coastal rowing and beach sprints, and indoor rowing, for which World Rowing publishes separate rules of racing.^[2]

What does COPARE govern or do?

COPARE writes no rules of racing. Rowing in the Americas runs under World Rowing’s Rules of Racing, which World Rowing publishes in 2026 editions for overall and classic rowing, indoor rowing, and coastal rowing and beach sprints.^[2] The rules give continental confederations one defined task: under Rule 28, “The events at Regional and Continental Championship regattas as well as multi-sport Games regattas shall be proposed to World Rowing by the regional or continental rowing confederation”, and further rules set boat weights, course standards and racing distances for continental championships.^[3]

The Statutes also bind the confederation to World Rowing’s rules: under Article 18.5 a confederation must “comply fully with all duties and provisions of the Statutes, Rules, Bye-Laws and Event Regulations established by World Rowing and decisions taken by World Rowing”, must “submit an annual report of its activities for inclusion in the Congress agenda papers”, and must provide for World Rowing’s Continental Representative “to be an ex-officio member of the Confederation’s executive committee, or equivalent.”^[1]

Anti-doping and world records belong to World Rowing; no document retrieved names COPARE as a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code in its own right.

When was COPARE founded and where is it based?

No founding date for COPARE could be confirmed from a retrievable primary source, and the date on which World Rowing’s Congress recognised it could not be confirmed either. The confederation’s own site, which would carry its statutes and history, did not resolve.^[5] The world federation’s dates are separate: World Rowing’s Statutes state that FISA was founded “on 25 June 1892, in Turin”, and its bye-laws state that “The headquarters are currently in Lausanne, Switzerland.”^[1]

COPARE’s seat could not be established. Panam Sports’ report of April 2023 named Fernando Ucha as its president in its report of the Santiago 2023 test regatta in Chile; the article also reported the confederation’s interest in staging a Paris 2024 qualifying regatta in Chile the following year, with Brazil and Mexico also candidates.^[5] Whether that regatta went to Chile is not stated in the article, and no later confirmation was retrieved.

How is COPARE recognised?

The recognising instrument is World Rowing’s. Article 18.3 of the Statutes (the document reads “Last updated: July 1, 2025”; World Rowing published the file in April 2026) states: “A Continental Rowing Confederation is recognised as such by a vote of Congress, upon recommendation by Council.”^[1] A recognised confederation may, under Article 18.4, “appoint up to three delegates to attend the World Rowing Congress” without voting rights, submit proposals for the Congress agenda, and attend other World Rowing events on the president’s invitation.^[1] Separately, Article 37.1 provides that “Continental Representatives shall be appointed by Council, for each of the following continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and The Americas upon proposal by the Executive Committee”, and that they “shall represent World Rowing in their continent.”^[1] The Statutes name no individual confederation, and the Congress decision recognising COPARE could not be retrieved.

World Rowing states that it is “recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)”; COPARE holds no IOC recognition of its own.^[1] The continental multi-sport tie is the Pan American Games of Panam Sports: Panam Sports reported that the Santiago 2023 organising committee chose the April 2023 regatta, at which COPARE’s president was quoted, “como evento de prueba para sus áreas funcionales”.^[5][8]

What does COPARE organise?

A classic senior Pan American Rowing Championships held by COPARE in 2025 or 2026 could not be confirmed from the documents retrieved. World Rowing’s long-term planning calendar for 2025 to 2028 (file dated 10 August 2026) lists no Pan American or other Americas continental championship; among its events in the Americas are the World Rowing Under 23 and Under 19 Championships in Sarasota, United States, in August 2027.^[6]

The Americas regatta documented with COPARE’s president is the Pre Panamericano de Remo of 15 to 19 April 2023 at Laguna Grande, San Pedro de la Paz, Chile: Panam Sports reported eight nations (the United States, Chile, Cuba, Uruguay, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina), 12 events and 36 medals, broadcast on Panam Sports Channel, with the regatta serving as the Santiago 2023 test event.^[5]

Rowing is also on the programme of the Panam Sports Games: it was held at the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, on the bay of the port of Asunción, from 9 August 2025, and it is on the programme of the Lima 2027 Pan American Games, scheduled for 23 July to 8 August 2027.^[7][8] The rowing qualification system for Lima 2027 could not be retrieved.

Who are its members?

Under World Rowing’s Statutes a continental confederation “in principle, includes all the Member Federations of that continent”, so COPARE’s membership is the World Rowing member federations of the Americas.^[1] World Rowing states that it has “158 member National Rowing Federations”; the Americas share of that figure is not printed on the page retrieved, and a membership list or count from COPARE itself could not be retrieved.^[4]

Nations named at the 2023 Pre Panamericano de Remo were the United States, Chile, Cuba, Uruguay, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.^[5] At the 2025 Junior Pan American Games, Panam Sports’ report of the first day named crews from Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Cuba and Guatemala.^[7]