In Venezuela, an arbitrator refuses to make a minute of silence and players will meet on their own

Last update 5 April, 2024 por Alberto Llopis

The social situation in Venezuela is serious or at least that's what we transmit all the world media today following the South American country. A sad situation that was reflected in a match of the Venezuelan league where players from both teams gave themselves a lesson in pride, dignity and solidarity. An arbitrator declined to a minute of silence and players decided to fulfill on their own. 

It happened in the match between Deportivo Lara and Anzoátegui played on 30 April 2017. Players and coaches from both teams kept at the refusal of the referee that started the match,  a spontaneous moment of silence, before the match between the teams in the league Venezuela in memory of those killed in the protests against the regime Maduro and the precarious situation in which the country finds. After the referee's whistle players from both teams stood still on the field respecting their own minute of silence.

Ricardo Andreutti, one of the players of Deportivo Lara, He said after being asked about the action the minute of silence is “fair” the difficult situation in Venezuela.“then comes a time when one must position itself to something that is not without danger, not political or popular, but must do it because his conscience tells him is right”, the player wrote in his Twitter account quoting this phrase from Martin Luther King.

Transcurrido el “makeshift” minute of silence to the astonishment of referee, the game resumed and played without problems but the image had already left for the world.