President Bolsonaro supports the Copa America in Brazil

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro affirmed on Tuesday that, if it depends on him and his government, "there will be Copa America in Brazil," as announced by Conmebol, after Argentina and Colombia backed out of hosting the tournament.

"I was consulted by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and on our part, it is positive," said Bolsonaro at the doors of his official residence in Brasilia.

The president, a leader of a denialist far-right movement, downplayed the impact that the Copa America could have in relation to the health crisis caused by the coronavirus, which has already killed more than 462,000 people in Brazil and continues to be out of control.

"There is Copa Libertadores, there is Copa Sudamericana, now there are regional qualifiers for the World Cup in Qatar," Bolsonaro said in reference to tournaments that have been ongoing for months.

"Nobody says anything about that, but if it's the Copa America, then it will cause crowds and it can't be played," he ironically pointed out, insisting that his government is willing to host the regional tournament, which would start on the 13th of next month.

"It's the same safety protocol as the Copa Libertadores," Bolsonaro insisted to justify his support for the tournament, which has generated a huge wave of criticism from health experts and political sectors who consider this decision "irresponsible" when the country still hasn't controlled the COVID-19 pandemic. EFE