Copa America games moved from Colombia due to civil unrest

Thousands of Colombians have taken part in demonstrations across the country and some Copa Libertadores games have been disrupted

A protester in Colombia calls for the tournament to be moved from the country (Getty Images)

Colombia has been stripped of its Copa America fixtures due to anti-government protests in the country.

The nation was set to act as co-hosts for the tournament along with Argentina this summer and was scheduled to stage the final in the city of Barranquilla on 10 July.

The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) rejected an appeal from the country to postpone the tournament until November due to the protests, which have been taking place across Colombia for several weeks.

In a statement, Conmebol said: “Due to reasons related to the international competition calendar and tournament logistics, it will be impossible to move the 2021 Copa America to November.

“Conmebol is grateful for the enthusiasm and commitment shown by the President of the Republic of Colombia, Ivan Duque and his collaborators, as well as by the president of the Colombian Football Federation, Ramon Jesurun, and his team. We are sure that in the future new projects together will emerge for the growth of Colombian and South American football.

“Conmebol can ensure the playing of the Copa America and will reveal in the coming days the relocation of the games that were due to be played in Colombia.”

The tournament is scheduled to take place from 13 June - 10 July after it was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Brazil are the defending champions and are one of 10 countries set to take part in this year’s tournament.