Argentine court released, on Friday (22), more than a hundred Chileans detained after the violent clashes with Argentine fans during a South American Cup soccer match last Wednesday (20).
Independiente and Universidad fans of Chile faced with knives, sticks and bombs inside the Libertadores of America stadium in Avellaneda, in a camp battle that left 19 injured, two of them still in serious condition.
According to the judicial document, the order of release was issued at midnight on Thursday (21) and covers the 104 Chileans arrested in several police stations in the province of Buenos Aires.
Some, who lost their clothes and documents amid the confusion had to be assisted by the consulate. By land or airway, most began, on Friday, the return to their country, according to Chilean diplomatic sources.
“In the stands, I was beaten with dicks and iron bars, stole everything,” said Ignacio Castro, a 38 -year -old Chilean psychologist, in front of the Chile consulate in Buenos Aires.
“When I went down to ask police for help, they took me to the hospital. I was sutured and detained like one more for damage, disorders and injuries,” he added.
In confirming the release of fans, Chilean President Gabriel Boric defended working to end violence in football, a problem that has persistently affecting South America.
“We will continue to work to eradicate the violence in the stadiums and, at the same time, to defend the rights of our compatriots,” said Boric, who sent his interior minister to Buenos Aires on Thursday to supervise the case.
Barbarism
The brutal confrontation took place during the return game of the round of 16 of the South American Cup in Avellaneda, south of Buenos Aires, and was interrupted three minutes into the second half.
Chaos began when fans of the Chilean team threw dicks, bottles, chairs and even senior vessels from the upper popular stands, reaching the bottom, where Independiente fans were, who responded violently.
On Friday, Chilean Interior Minister Álvaro Elizalde visited the injured who are still hospitalized at the Fiorito de Avellaneda Hospital and announced the signing of a memorandum with Argentina to prevent violence in football.
There, two men of Chilean nationality remain in serious condition, one with head trauma and the other with cervical fracture, according to the medical bulletin. Both underwent surgeries.
One of them, with a more committed picture, threw herself from the stands when she was cornered by Independiente fans. According to a Chilean authority, a coverage damaged his fall, preventing him from dying.
Stadium closure request
The Independiente stadium, which with seven titles is the most awarded team of the Copa Libertadores, was closed until the expertise ordered by the court is completed.
“The prosecutor called for the closure because there are liver spots of blood, and expertise to be done,” said Buenos Aires Security Minister Javier Alonso.
The stands where the clashes occurred show the proportion of the fight: leftover projectiles, stones, torn chairs, irons and masonry remains that were torn from the bathrooms to be thrown.
“Yesterday [quinta-feira]there was a very important identification work. There are about 20 lawsuits, “said Alonso, without going into detail.
“There are people who have to be accountable because there was a security company that should be present and was not. The coordinator of Conmebol [Confederação Sul-Americana de Futebol] It was warned three times that the game should be suspended and did not want to, “said the minister.
The safety of the match was in charge of Independiente, according to Conmebol, and has been questioned by several voices, including Boric’s, who denounced “unacceptable lynching of Chileans.”
Waiting for sanctions
The brutal images of the confrontation, one of the worst of recent years in Latin American football, have turned to the world.
The president of FIFA (International Football Federation), Gianni Infantino, demanded “exemplary punishments”. Conmebol, which has promised to act with “greater firmness” against those responsible, is evaluating punishments.
Sanctions can reach the disqualification of one or both clubs, something that has not happened since 2015, when Boca Juniors was removed in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores for incidents in an Argentine superclassic against River Plate.
