Zeledón faced competition from Jamaica’s Christopher Samuda, Brazil’s Ivaldo Brandao and Venezuela’s Ahiquel Hernández for the role, when the vote was held in Toronto ahead of the Parapan American Games, due to open in the Canadian city today. 

The Nicaraguan was declared the winner after receiving 13 votes with Samuda and Brandao collecting eight and three respectively.

Hernández had been eliminated at the end of the first round of voting.

In addition to Zeledón’s appointment, Cuba’s Eduardo Montenegro was ratified as an APC Executive Member, while both Aruba and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were confirmed as new members of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

APC President Jose Luis Campo welcomed the new IPC members in a speech and expressed his belief that the continents’ National Paralympic Committees (NPC) are showing huge signs of development.

“I have to recognise that most of the National Paralympic Committees have grown a lot, and have improved a lot,” Campo said.

“We are a continent with a lot of strength, full of capabilities and an unimaginable potential.

“We are conscious that we are growing but we need to get organised.

“The presentations were very good and with a practical style.”

In addition to Campo, there were speeches from Drew Fagan, Ontario's Deputy Minister of the Pan Am Games Secretariat and Toronto 2015 chief executive Saäd Rafi.

IPC chief executive Xavier González was also in attendance at the Assembly, delivering their financial report, while delegates from 26 different nations were also given an update on preparations for next year’s Paralaympic Games by Paco Biosca of Rio 2016.

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