Argentina’s hosting of the Copa América football tournament has been suspended with less than two weeks to go against a background of public hostility as the country suffers a new COVID-19 surge.
The decision to halt the staging of the event was taken “in view of the current circumstances”, according to the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).
CONEMBOL said in a statement that it was urgently seeking other hosts.
The delayed tournament, postponed from last year because of the pandemic, was due to be co-hosted by Colombia.
But on May 20 CONMEBOL rejected a plea by Colombia to further delay the tournament, due to be held from June 13 to July 10, following a wave of anti-Government protests and social unrest, coupled with an upsurge in COVID-19 cases.
Now the prospective sole host Argentina is under a nine-day lockdown and experiencing record daily infections.
The Argentine Government had hoped that the lockdown that began on May 22 would flatten the curve of infections ahead of the event, but a survey conducted by pollsters Poliarquia among a representative sample of 1,274 city-dwelling adults found that 70 per cent believed the country should withdraw.
“CONMEBOL informs that in view of the current circumstances it has decided to suspend the organisation of the Copa America in Argentina,” CONMEBOL said.
“CONMEBOL is evaluating the offer of other countries that showed interest in hosting the continental tournament.”
Officials are expected to meet today to decide on the next move for hosting the tournament.
Argentina had presented its “strict protocol” to CONMEBOL to host the tournament in its entirety, which involved preparing additional stadiums.
Only 20 per cent of those surveyed in Argentina believed the event should go ahead on home soil, and 10 per cent were undecided.
