Football News : Colombia removed as co-host of next month's Copa America

South American soccer body CONMEBOL has announced that Colombia will not co-host next month's Copa America. Hours earlier Colombian authorities said they would ask CONMEBOL to postpone the tournament, which is also being hosted by Argentina, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CONMEBOL rejected the request and said it will decide soon on where the matches scheduled to be played in Colombia will be relocated. The protests in Colombia began April 28 after President Ivan Duque attempted to ram through a tax increase amid a pandemic that has left millions without work or food. Although he quickly backed down, protesters have remained on the streets, broadening their fight to include grievances ranging from the decrepit state of Colombia's health care and education systems to the slow implementation of a 2016 peace deal with Marxist rebels Last week, police and protesters clashed in the Colombian cities of Pereira and Barranquilla, the latter of which was scheduled to hold the Copa America final. A Copa Libertadores match last week between Colombia's America de Cali and Brazil's Atlético Mineiro was interrupted several times because of tear gas used to disperse the protesters. Copa America is scheduled to be played from June 13 to July 10.