Workers' Party Rejects Holding of Soccer Tournament in Brazil

The Workers' Party (PT) on Monday rejected the possibility of Brazil hosting the South American Soccer Tournament, which was originally supposed to take place in Colombia and Argentina.

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"Bolsonaro authorized the holding of the Soccer Tournament here in Brazil! Is this serious? Was this authorized amid the pandemic, the arrival of the third wave, the increased risk due to lack of beds and supplies, and a slow vaccination process? This is amazing! ", the PT President Gleisi Hoffmann tweeted.

Although the Bolsonaro administration has not yet officially ruled accepting that Brazil is the new venue for the regional soccer tournament as of June 13, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) thanked the far-right President and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF ) for "opening the doors of that country to what is today the safest sporting event in the world."

The workers' criticisms were supported by the Democratic Labor Party (PDT) leader Ciro Gomes, who asked the parliamentary commission investigating the pandemic's mismanagement to call the CBF President to testify.

"The question is not whether you like or dislike soccer - I love it! The question is not to play with the lives of Brazilians and not to make demagogy in exchange for the death of innocents," Gomes tweeted.

Subnational governments also began to express their concern publicly. The Pernambuco government, for example, announced that its territory is not in conditions to hold international soccer matches.

In recent weeks, the number of cases accelerated and forced to establish more restrictions in urban areas of Pernambuco, which is one of the states currently most affected by the coronavirus in Brazil, a country that has recognized over 16.5 million COVID-19 cases and 462,000 related deaths so far.