MONTEVIDEO, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay, Paraguay and Mexico have all taken measures against soccer violence this week, and other countries in Latin America are considering doing so, as the pitches of Latin America's favorite sport risks becoming a battlefield, according to news from the three countries on Tuesday.
Uruguay has set up the toughest controls: a March 27 meeting between the country's AUF football league, the executives of the Premier League clubs, and some government representatives decided, among many other measures, to prevent members of Barras Bravas (fight clubs) from attending games, to identify and police high-risk games, boost fencing, and introduce metal detectors, television cameras and zig-zag entrances at the Centenario -- Uruguay's largest stadium.
In Paraguay, the APF football association decided on Tuesday to sanction clubs with the loss of championship points if there is violence and to allow clubs to hold closed-door games, with free tickets to a controlled number of fans, where it will help restrict clashes.
In Mexico, the capital city's legislators approved a law which on Tuesday created a special police force to fight football violence, that demands fans with present identification when attending games, and provides for fines of up to 2,000 times the country's minimum wage, the closure of events or forcing the event organizers to pay for the damage caused by fans.
Anti-violence measures have been taken by Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Venezuela, Honduras and Argentina, following last week's seminar organized by the CSF South American Football Federation jointly with the English Football Federation, famed for its battles with hooliganism.
At the seminar, CSF president, Nicolas Leoz, swore to: "prevent, combat and defeat football violence, by working with state actors, including the legislators and those who enforce the law." Enditem
