The spread of Covid-19 and violent demonstrations increases and a cloud of uncertainties hangs over the Cup
America
2021, whose initial beep in Argentina Y Colombia should be given in a month. Despite everything, the two countries assure today that they will keep their commitments.
The social revolt has been brewing in Colombia for almost three weeks and the country has turned into pure violence. Clashes with the police left 42 dead and more than 1,500 injured. Few Colombians think about soccer except the government, which would make it a symbol of unity.
At the moment, the realization of the competition in Medellín, Cali and Bogotá and Barranquilla, where the final will be played on July 10, seems difficult to imagine. However, the conservative Colombian president Iván Duque assured a few days ago that “the Cup will take place in both countries.” According to him, “it would be an important message at this time.”
However, on Thursday night, clashes with the police, who fired tear gas near the Barranquilla stadium, forced the Copa Libertadores match between the Brazilian Atlético Mineiro and América de Cali to paralyze seven times (3-1 ). At the end of the first period, the players were even forced to take refuge in the locker room.
On Wednesday in Pereira, the match between Nacional Uruguay and Atlético de Medellín (0-0) began an hour late due to incidents outside the hotel where the Uruguayan team was staying. In Barranquilla, the match between Junior and the Argentine club River Plate (1-1) was suspended for a few minutes due to irritating gas. River’s coach, Marcelo Gallardo, said after the meeting that “it is not normal to come to play a soccer game in such an unstable situation, in the midst of what the Colombian people are experiencing.”
La CONMEBOL, less concerned than Tite o Juninho Paulista
On Friday, the coordinator of the Brazilian soccer team, Juninho Paulista, said that he was following “the situation daily, in dialogue with CONMEBOL,” the South American soccer organization. “We are clearly saying that we do not want to repeat what happened” in Cali with the Brazilian Atlético Mineiro, stressed the former 2002 world champion. Brazilian coach Tite also expressed his “concern” on Friday when the group announced the South American qualifiers for the World Cup. 2022, which will be played the week before the opening match of the Copa América, on June 13 in Buenos Aires.
On Thursday, during a virtual meeting, the CONMEBOL Council addressed the issue of the America’s Cup indirectly, an internal source told AFP. However, rumors have been insistent in recent days: other countries seem willing to replace the Colombian host. Colombia “remains determined” and its desire to organize the event “has never been a matter of doubt” for Conmebol.
Silence from the authorities since April
Argentine President Alberto Fernández was cautious. “I don’t want to spoil the Copa América party, but I want us to be very reasonable, we have to be very careful. Like most countries in South America, Argentina and Colombia are reporting a sharp increase in cases of Covid-19 infection, which puts the health system to the test, ”he warned at the end of April. Since then, there has been silence from the Argentine authorities on the matter, busy trying to curb the outbreak of infections. In Colombia, the infection rate could even rise due to the crowds gathered at the protests.
–
