The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) has determined, due to force majeure, the transfer to Asunción of all international commitments in the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana in which Bolivian clubs would have been hosts this week. The measure responds to the serious internal conflict that has paralyzed Bolivia for twelve days, with roadblocks preventing the free movement of delegations towards airports and concentration hotels.
The schedule on Paraguayan soil, with specific stadiums still pending official confirmation, begins this Tuesday, May 19, at 9:00 p.m., with the Libertadores duel between Always Ready and Mirassol, from Brazil. On Wednesday, May 20, at 9:00 p.m., it will be Independiente Petrolero's turn to face Botafogo in the Sudamericana. The contingency round ends on Thursday, May 21, at 9:30 p.m., when Blooming hosts Carabobo, from Venezuela.
The change of home field represents a harsh sporting impact, especially for Always Ready, which will lose the advantage of playing the fifth round of Group G at the 4,150-meter altitude of the Municipal Stadium of El Alto. The "millionaire" club, which occupies the last position in the group with three points — behind Mirassol (9), Liga de Quito (6) and Lanús (6) — issued a statement expressing regret over Conmebol's decision, but confirmed that it will face the decisive commitment in Paraguay with maximum institutional responsibility.
The backdrop of the crisis in the highland country includes massive protests driven by peasant organizations and the Bolivian Workers' Central, sectors demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz. Although a joint operation by the Police and the Armed Forces managed to partially free road access in the Río Seco area — adjacent to the neighborhood where the El Alto stadium is located — tension persists amid threats to expand the measures of force. Local football logistics had already collapsed the previous Thursday, when the squads of Always Ready and The Strongest faced severe difficulties in reaching the local tournament match.