Fútbol thrives as COVID-19 ravages South America

• Officials also acknowledge a lack of PCR tests and an undercount of COVID-related deaths.
• Economic circumstances, like living day to day and a lack of stimulus checks like those in the U.S., have meant many Latin Americans must still leave home to work.

Between the lines: Despite the high number of COVID cases, Brazil is set to host the Copa América tournament in two weeks.

• “I regret the deaths, but we have to live,” said Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, about hosting the tournament.
• Brazil is averaging around 2,000 lives lost to coronavirus daily. The variants first detected in Brazil, now named Gamma and Zeta, have torn through South America.

Driving the news: Peru revised its fatality figures upward this week, almost tripling the previous number. It now has the highest global per capita death rate.

• The country will hold presidential elections this Sunday; candidates are neck and neck in polls.
• Coronavirus has barely made a blip in the campaigns, which are more focused on socioeconomic inequalities and corruption.

Go deeper: Latin America turns to China and Russia for COVID-19 vaccines