In 1934, Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, then-mayor of Bogotá, had the idea to build a stadium for the pleasure of the citizens of Bogotá, taking advantage of the occasion provided by Bogotá's 400th anniversary, and also to host the 1938 Bolivarian Games. Until the opening of Estadio El Campín, the only major football ground in the city was the relatively small "La Merced" ground. Shortly after, then-councilman Luis Camacho offered a land to the city of Bogotá where the new stadium could be constructed.