The match between Peru and Venezuela for qualification for the 2026 World Cup which ended Tuesday with a score of 1-1 in Lima experienced rather tense extra-sporting overtime.
At the end of the match, Venezuelan players had already reported being attacked by the Peruvian police responsible for stadium security. “They hit me. These are things that should not happen. The match ended and we went to thank the Venezuelan supporters. Salomon Rondon is going to give his jersey and I go behind him and when I go to throw mine, the police stop me. Then others got angry, I don’t know what happened, and they took out their batons to hit us. They hit me twice. They hit me twice and broke me a little (two fingers), but it’s not a serious injury,” said Nahuel Ferraresi, São Paulo’s central defender, showing bandages on his index finger. and the ring finger of his right hand in a video from his Federation’s media.
After finishing Peru and Venezuela, the Vinotinto players go to the Venezuelan sector.
The police prevent the passage and without any sense they begin to push and try to hit the players (Nahuel Ferraresi)
This has to be reported @FVF_Oficial #Red wine pic.twitter.com/Zjy4TiPjhP
— John Jairo Gonzalez Gonzalez ???????? (@JOHNHATE) November 22, 2023
Before the match, Peruvian police carried out an unusual identity check around the stadium targeting Venezuelans while a decree that came into force last week authorizes the Peruvian government to quickly expel foreigners.
This Wednesday, tension rose another notch between the two countries. Venezuela has in fact accused Peru of “sequestering” its national team after Lima’s refusal to provide fuel for the team’s return plane.
“The Peruvian government is committing a new arbitrary act against the Venezuelans by preventing the plane bringing the team back from refueling for its flight,” wrote Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil on the social network is sequestration to take revenge on our team who played an extraordinary match” at the National Stadium in Lima.
Peruvian airport authorities denied this version, citing “technical problems occurring at airports” and refuting any “migration or (Peruvian) state” problem.
With 1.5 million Venezuelan immigrants, Peru is one of the countries in the region that receives the most migrants from Venezuela, which is going through a serious economic crisis with an 80% contraction in GDP.
After this draw, Peru remains last in the qualifiers, while Venezuela is 4th.
