Duque assures that Colombia is ready for the Copa América

The president of Colombia, Iván Duque, assured that, as far as his country is concerned,

the Copa América of soccer that he will co-organize in June and July next together with Argentina

will be carried out with

the same biosafety protocols that are followed in the matches of the local league and the Copa Libertadores.

"I have a very clear commitment on the part of Colombia with Conmebol and we have said: 'we are prepared for

the Copa América to be played in Colombia with those biosafety guarantees

.' As for us, which is a group of five teams, we have said: 'yes, we are ready,' "Duque said in an interview with Efe.

The Copa América, which was to be played in 2020 in Argentina and Colombia, was postponed to this year and

is scheduled to be played from June 11 to July 10,

but

the new peak of the covid-19 pandemic in Latin America returned to sow doubts

about the celebration.

"It would be illogical if a national rented tournament and the Copa Libertadores de América could be played and five teams could not play in a safe environment, in a bubble," said Duque, referring to the members of

Group B of the continental tournament, which are Colombia. , Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru.

This is the first time that the Colombian president speaks about the Copa América after his Argentine counterpart, Alberto Fernández, expressed

his concern

last Thursday

about the possibility that the matches of that tournament

and of the Libertadores

could increase the cases of coronavirus .

"I do not want to frustrate the spectacle of the Copa América, what I want is for us to be very sensible, very careful.

We have some time ahead to see how things evolve

and to see how we can master this problem," Fernández said at the time.

Colombia has a commitment

Duque assured that Colombia has worked in the organization of the tournament of nations for some time, that "it was not something that appeared from one moment to another."

"The pandemic came, we ran it (the tournament) for the year 2021, but it must be recognized that while that has happened

we have been able to reestablish our soccer tournament without an audience

and we have also seen the teams play the Copa Libertadores without an audience" , he expressed.

That is why he stressed that Colombia has "that commitment" to organize the tournament and has already told the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) that the country is prepared to host the Cup,

even if it could not enter the stadiums with the public.

"Just as we have taken measures for the rented tournament, in the particular case of the Group that would play in Colombia, which are five teams,

the bubbles are foreseen to guarantee the protection of the players, the Colombian society

and also to be able to fans of this important sport throughout South America have a safe America's Cup, which can be broadcast on television, "he said.

A being asked about what will happen if the pandemic situation has not improved substantially for the dates of the Copa America, Duque compared that scenario with countries like France, where despite the numbers high of infections of covid-19

is they continued to play Champions League matches and the local tournament.

"You saw (that it was played) in Turkey, in Spain, in England, in Germany. Why? Because the measures have been taken," said Duque.

The president pointed out that his government is working with Conmebol, taking into account "medical criteria" to

guarantee that the part of the Copa América that corresponds to Colombia is played.