Bolivia FA President Arrested During World Cup Qualifier

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivian investigators arrested the interim president of the country’s soccer federation during a South American World Cup qualifying match.

Marcos Rodríguez is accused of corruption and was taken into custody at the Hernando Siles stadium in La Paz, where Bolivia lost 3-2 to Ecuador on Thursday. Local media broadcast a video showing Rodríguez being escorted by police during halftime.

Rolando Aramayo, who is on the executive committee of Bolivia’s football federation, confirmed the arrest to radio Fides.

“This an excess, but I won’t make more comments,” Aramayo said, adding that the meeting to elect the new president, scheduled for Friday, is now uncertain.

Rodríguez has been in the role on an interim basis since the federation’s president César Salinas died of COVID-19 in July.

Local media reported police tried to arrest Rodríguez at the hotel where the election will take place, but he had already left for the stadium.

Bolivian soccer is in crisis, with club executives fighting over power in the federation. The country’s national championship has been suspended since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic and was not allowed to restart because of those disputes.