# South American football refereeing controversies > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-american-football-refereeing-controversies > Updated: 2026-09-17T15:48:06.000Z. Sources: 15. Developments: 2. Football officiating controversies have emerged across South America, involving disputes over refereeing decisions and player conduct. In Argentina, the National Director of Refereeing, Federico Beligoy, released VAR audio to defend decisions made during a River Plate vs. Atlético Tucumán match. This followed arguments from club presidents and coaches that a specific yellow card should have been a red card. Beligoy defended the integrity of the officiating, accusing critics of attempting to “install another fallacy against Argentine refereeing.” In Paraguay, the Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol has faced scrutiny regarding multiple incidents. Initially, the Referee Commission released video analysis to justify decisions in a match between Sportivo 2 de Mayo and Libertad. Subsequently, Director of Referees Eber Aquino addressed formal complaints from clubs Guaraní and 2 de Mayo, as well as allegations from player Óscar ‘Chiquito’ Giménez regarding verbal insults from an official. Aquino noted that while VAR is used for major plays, certain actions like yellow card reviews cannot be reassessed through the system. In Venezuela, officiating disputes led to physical violence during a youth tournament in Barinas, where a brawl between two teams resulted in injuries to a firefighter attempting to intervene. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-17: Eber Aquino addresses Paraguayan football refereeing controversies APF Referee Director Eber Aquino addressed club complaints, player allegations of verbal abuse, and the methodology for analyzing controversial plays and VAR interventions in Paraguayan football. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/eber-aquino-addresses-paraguayan-football-refereeing-controversies ### 2026-09-14: Refereeing controversies spark debate in Argentina, Paraguay, and Venezuela Refereeing controversies dominate football news, including the release of VAR audio in Argentina to defend a non-red card decision and reports of violence in Venezuelan youth tournaments. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/federico-beligoy-releases-var-audio-following-river-plate-controversy --- Cite as: South American football refereeing controversies. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-american-football-refereeing-controversies