'This sat nav's faulty. It says we're in Chile...'
We were all sad to hear about the demise of this year’s Dakar Rally due to a bunch of terrorists but there is something not quite right about a new plan to save it – stage it in Chile instead.
The Chilean government is expected to back a proposal to bring the Dakar Rally to South America which leaves us wondering whether a change of continent will alter the concept of an African rally somewhat.
A year of preparation was lost last week when the Dakar Rally organisers decided to cancel the event, which dates back to 1979, because of terrorist threats from Al Qaeda.
In a bid to rekindle the event the head of the Chilean Tourism Service, Oscar Santelices, said a formal letter will be sent next week to the France-based Amaury Sports Organization - organizers of the rally - expressing Chile's interest to host it.
Apparently he did tell the press, however, that no financial support would be provided.
Chile's deputy sports Minister, Jaime Pizarro, also said the government would be interested as "the idea appears on the line with the official policy of hosting important international sports events."
If the event were to move to Chile it is expected to go through the world’s driest desert, the northern Atacama, where a local rally called Patagonia-Atacama is held each year.
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