Argentina may host the entire tournament
The Confederation of South American Football Associations announced that Colombia will be stripped of organizing the 2021 Copa America due to political events in the country.
Colombia was scheduled to organize the tournament with Argentina, where the final match will be played on July 10 at the Metropolitano Stadium.
The ongoing protests in Colombia against the government forced CONMEBOL to intervene quickly.
How came the announcement of the exclusion of Colombia?
The Colombian government has requested that the tournament be rescheduled for next November, until the end of the protests there. The South American Confederation said in an official statement: "Due to reasons related to the calendar of international competitions and the logistics of the tournament, it will be impossible to transfer the Copa America to November."
"CONMEBOL is grateful for the enthusiasm and commitment shown by the President of the Republic of Colombia, Ivan Duque, and his assistants, as well as Ramon Jessoron, President of the Colombian Confederation, and we trust them to present new projects for the future growth of football in South America."
He continued, "In the coming days, we will reveal the locations of the matches that were scheduled to be played in Colombia."
What happens in Colombia?
The protests began at the end of last April due to the tax and healthcare reforms announced by the president.
Demonstrations have continued non-stop for three weeks, with the capital, Bogota, experiencing some of the most intense demonstrations.
Some human rights groups claim that more than 40 people died in clashes between protesters and the authorities, so the Federation of South America decided to intervene.
Where is the Copa America held?
CONMEBOL has not yet announced where the matches will be moved, and one option is to play the entire tournament in Argentina.
On the other hand, Chile and Paraguay have expressed their interest in hosting some matches, from the tournament to be held on June 13th.
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