"files" that can't be deleted

[Saladin]

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root# chattr -i -a America
chattr: Input/output error while trying to stat America
root# rm -f America
rm: cannot remove 'America': Input/output error

[flea]

You could try the following. Make sure the partition is not mounted (boot off a usb-stick or CD ROM if necessary)

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fsck /dev/sdxx

sdxx being a substitute for your partition name (i.g. /dev/sda1, etc.) If necessary use

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lsblk

to identify your partition.

Then try to delete the file. If that doesn't work, you probably have a hardware issue.

[musher0]

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root# chattr -i -a America
chattr: Input/output error while trying to stat America
root# rm -f America
rm: cannot remove 'America': Input/output error

Shucks. (Please note that I myself live on this continent!)

Silly joke aside, if we are talking about the /usr/share/zoneinfo directory,
"America" is a sub-directory of it, with stuff in it. So rm -f only won't cut it.
The command needs to be:

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rm -f -r America

That "-f -r" means -force and -recurse.
Without the -r you will only erase the first level.

And to make double sure it's gone, it won't hurt to use

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rmdir --ignore-fail-on-non-empty America

right after the rm command above, because rm can be fussy with dirs.