The president of Palmeiras in Brazil, Leila Pereira, expressed her doubts about the South American Football Confederation's (CONMEBOL) ability to address racism after comments from its Paraguayan president, Alejandro Domínguez, at the draw for the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana. During the draw, Domínguez was asked about the possible exit of Brazilian teams from the tournament, and his response sparked controversy by stating that 'it would be like Tarzan without Cheetah, impossible.'
Pereira considered Domínguez's words as a provocation towards Palmeiras and other Brazilian clubs. In response, the president of Palmeiras questioned CONMEBOL's understanding of racism, stating: 'President Alejandro's statement demonstrates, once again, the difficulty of CONMEBOL in understanding what racism is.'
Pereira emphasized: 'When I saw President Alejandro Domínguez's statement, I confess that I found it hard to believe it was real. In fact, thinking about it, I believe even Artificial Intelligence would not be capable of producing such a disastrous statement as this.' Additionally, she pointed out the lack of sensitivity from the CONMEBOL president in making an unfortunate comparison after an incident of racism in which Palmeiras players were victims in Paraguay.
The president of Palmeiras criticized CONMEBOL's ability to address racism in South American football, raising the question of how they could combat this issue if they do not understand its severity. Pereira concluded: 'I even thought it could be a video manipulated by Artificial Intelligence.'