Fiu prepares her last appearance on the streets of Santiago

There is no doubt that in addition to the great sporting prowess of these Pan American and Parapan American Games, one of the great protagonists of Santiago 2023 has been Fiu, the official mascot of the event. The bird has won the affection of Chileans thanks to its various appearances in sports facilities and the interventions it has carried out throughout the country.

However, The Parapan American Games action is almost over, and with that, the iconic seven-colored bird prepares its farewell to the streets. As part of the Gana Santiago Plan, the Metropolitan Regional Government has developed the Fiu Family Parades, which aim to tell the story of Fiu and his friends, highlighting the importance of caring for wetlands and promoting respect for the diversity. In fact, the initiative organizes a Wetland Expo, which presents photographs and information about these natural spaces.

The Fiu Family Parade plan has already been carried out in the municipalities of Cerillos, La Pintana, Santiago and Peñalolén. Its closure is scheduled for this Saturday, November 25 at 5:00 p.m. and the location chosen for the last appearance of this beloved bird will be Plaza Ñuñoa.

The governor of Santiago, Claudio Orrego, valued the activity and the impact it can generate: “The Fiu family parades are another part of our celebration of the Pan American and Parapan American Games, with which we want people to enjoy the sport, culture and be entertained at this party. We are also strengthening our commitment to promoting respect for the environment, by delivering a direct message in favor of preserving the ecosystem.

For her part, Emilia Ríos, mayor of Ñuñoa, the municipality chosen for the last appearance of the official mascot of Santiago 2023, highlighted the initiative: “We welcome this carnival with Fiu with great joy so that our neighbors can share with this mascot who “It gave us moments of great joy and also gave us a powerful message of environmental protection.”

However, This will not be the end of the Fiu, which will continue to be active in our country, but focused on activities of an educational nature.

Given the eventual removal of the seven-colored bird from the streets, a veritable madness to acquire it was unleashed. This Thursday, a new stock of Fiu was sold out in just 15 minutes from the merchandising store for official Villa products.

“It only took a few minutes to sell all Fiu products. We sold 50 traditional plush toys and 50 medium Christmas Fiu. It was crazy, we opened at 8 a.m. and they were gone in less than 15 minutes,” store manager Cindy Guajardo told TVN.