Paraguayans took advantage of the religious festival of San Juan this Wednesday to collect a bill from Salvadoran referee Iván Bartonwho has not yet been forgiven for the expulsion of Miguel Almiron during the match that Paraguay won 0-1 against Türkiye in the World Cup.
The reckoning came through the so-called ‘Judas Kai’ or burning of Judasone of the most popular traditions of the San Juan celebrations in Paraguay.
In Asunción’s popular Mercado 4, several street vendors offered puppets with the face of Ivan Bartoncurrently considered one of the least appreciated people in the country.
“It’s the best seller”Luis Alberto Torres told EFE about the doll of the Salvadoran referee, which was sold for 80 thousand guaraníes (more than 13 dollars).
The puppets symbolize Judas Iscariot and are burned as part of a tradition that fuses Catholic customs and pagan traditions of the native peoples.
The cultural promoter Javier Torres explained that identifying and burning a repudiated character as Judas allows citizens to vent your frustrations.
“Every year a political figure is chosen, but now for the World Cup we are choosing the referee”he commented.
Barton earned widespread rejection in Paraguay for expel Miguel Almirón after the footballer covered his mouth to address an opponent, in application of a new FIFA regulation.
In that same match, the referee also applied other recent rules that many Paraguayan fans interpreted as decisions that they harmed the Albirroja.
Despite the controversy, FIFA supported Barton’s performance by appointing him as main referee of the crucial match between Japan and Sweden for Group F of the World Cup.
The organism also withdrew the accreditation of Paraguayan journalist Jorge ‘Chipi’ Verawho called the referee a “thief” during his broadcast of the match.
“Iván Barton is not alone”
Paraguayan political figures also appeared near the doll that represented the referee, including the president Santiago Penathe former president Horacio Cartes and the president of Congress, Basilio Nunez.
However, according to the sellers, none generated as much interest as the Salvadoran referee.
“There are several candidates (to be burned like Judas Kai),” said the director of Asunción’s regional markets, Alejandro Buzó.
By becoming the favorite for this year’s burningIván Barton received the symbolic relief of the former Paraguayan senator Javier ‘Chaqueñito’ Verawho had been one of the most repudiated characters in the previous edition of this tradition.