CARTAGENA, Colombia – The 20th Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games opened with a lively and glittering ceremony at the Pedro de Heredia Stadium on Saturday night.

The opening ceremony, attended by Colombian President Dr Alvaro Uribe Velez, presented all the Caribbean and Central American flavour, exhibiting a multi-cultural mix of rhythms and colours in performances that included music and dancing.

It is the third time Colombia is staging the CAC Games, having previously staged the multi-sports event in 1946 and 1978.

Top competitors from 32 countries in the CAC region are participating in Olympic-style competition of 39 sporting disciplines.

Venezuela's Victor Castellano got the first gold medal of the 2006 CAC Games at the weightlifting competition.

In the 56-kilo category, Castellano captured the gold medal in the snatch event after lifting 122 kg, a new Central American record.

Countries joining hosts Colombia at the CAC Games are Antigua and Barbuda, Netherlands Antilles, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela. (MK)