South American hooligans run amok ahead of World Cup

BUENOS AIRES: An increase in football-related violence in South America is tarnishing the image of the game on the continent just months before Brazil hosts the World Cup.

Thirty people were killed in football-related attacks in Brazil alone this year — one less than the record 31 in 2012 — while nine died in neighboring Argentina, leading authorities in that country to ban away fans. In early December, a fracas broke out between “torcidas organizadas,” as hooligans are known in Brazil, following a match between Atletico Paranaense and Vasco da Gama. The brawl was broadcast live on television, shocking viewers as bloodied victims were beaten and kicked. Weeks later in Argentina, two members of the “barras bravas” — or hooligans — of local team Newell’s Old Boys were shot dead by a fan from bitter rivals Rosario Central.

Other fatalities were recorded in Colombia, Paraguay and Peru, with football-related injuries and arrests in Uruguay, Ecuador and Chile.

In some countries in the region, hooligans engage in criminal activities and have designated attack groups. In Argentina, the “barras bravas” are even seen as a constituency and protected by politicians.

Agence France-Presse

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