The mascots are a symbol, and as such, were taken seriously by the authorities, and although they arguably tried keeping politics out of it, all the hype surrounding the process was bound to get political.
Las mascotas son un símbolo, y como tal, son tomadas en serio por las autoridades, aunque posiblemente ellos han tratado de mantener la política fuera, todo el alboroto alrededor del proceso ha sido obligado a tornarse político.