Brésil: le gouvernement confirme l organisation de la Copa América 2m.ma - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from 2m.ma Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Brazil let 70m COVID-19 shots get away and sealed its fate
By Julia Leite, Andrew Rosati and Simone Iglesias / Bloomberg
In August last year, when Brazil had emerged as among the worst-hit nations by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pfizer Inc offered the Brazilian Ministry of Health to set aside as many as 70 million doses of the vaccine it was developing. It got no answer. So it made the offer again. And then a third time.
The next month, the company’s former Brazil head, Carlos Murillo, told the Brazilian Congress that Pfizer’s global chief put the offer in writing to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro with copies to the vice president, chief of staff, ministers of health and economy, and ambassador to the US.
Brazil will host the Copa América, the far-right president said, saying the governors of Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso do Sul and Goiás had agreed for their states to play hosts, plus the capital, Brasilia, and a fifth yet to be named.
Ramos tweeted: Confirmed: the Copa América will be held in Brazil.
Bolsonaro said matches would be held without fans.
Media reports had indicated the South American football confederation, CONMEBOL, was pushing to allow some fans, at least for the final.
There are still plenty of potential pitfalls ahead as organisers race to pull together the June 13-July 10 championships.
After Argentina pulled out of Copa America 2021 hosting duties on the weekend, the virus-variant-hit Brazil will take over, prompting criticism and disbelief from politicians, local media, and medical experts.