It went unnoticed by many, but not by the members of his delegation. Ramón Jesurún, president of the Colombian Football Federation, was not on the field during the closing ceremony of the Copa América 2024 (with delays, people sneaking into the stands and about 30% of fake tickets trying to access Hard Rock Stadium). First glances, to verify the absence, and then telephone inquiries. The answer, when it came, seemed hard to believe: Jesurún had been detained by the Miami police.
According to what was stated by the security agents who were allegedly involved in the incident, the group led by the president was asked to wait before being allowed access to the stadium. According to this version, Jesurún and his son (Ramón Jamil Jr.), who was accompanying him, were not pleased. This led to a verbal fight with the security guard. When he temporarily delayed them to advance through the access, both defendants got upset and started “shouting at him”, Colombian media said, citing sources of the investigation.
The report adds that the first to engage in violent behavior, according to the victims, was Ramón Jamil Jr, who shouted a few centimeters away from the agent’s face. The officer asked him to back up and, when he did not listen, proceeded to put his open palm on his chest to make him back up. It was then that the president and father allegedly intervened, pushing him, then grabbing him by the neck, throwing him to the ground and kicking him in the head.
“It can happen to anyone”
Miami police intervened by arresting the Jesurúns and transporting them to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Facility on charges of physical assault against an officer. Bail was set at $2,000 and $1,000 for father and son, respectively, with authorized travel provided he meets appearance dates (which could be virtual). Upon his release, Jesurún denied the aggressions, and affirmed that his credential gave him access to all sectors of the stadium: “It was unfair, we are human, it can happen to anyone”, he said by way of explanation.
Luego de comparecer en una corte de Miami-Dade y pagar la fianza, el pdte. de la @FCF_Oficial Ramón Jesurun y su hijo, detenidos por la Policía tras un altercado con guardias de seguridad del estadio en la final de la Copa América, quedaron libres.
Esta es su versión del caso ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ONvtg9DY5o
— Erika Fontalvo (@ErikaFontalvo) July 16, 2024
The Colombian Football Federation (FCF) regretted the events in a statement and pointed out that the helmsman acted out of paternal instinct to defend his family during the altercation, which led to his arrest. For the organization, the situation was exacerbated by poor logistics and lack of coordination in stadium security, which prevented proper access to the Colombian delegation before the awards ceremony. The Federation ended by offering apologies: “We regret, as the governing organization of Colombian football, this event and we offer apologies to the organizers of the tournament, the host country and the people who were affected”.
The well-known ‘Patron’ of Colombian football, born in November 1952, became president of the Federation in 2015 and vice-president of the South American Confederation (CONMEBOL) in 2016. The also businessman, studied Business Administration and was a basketball player, before linking to football. When he managed the Corporación Financiera de Transporte de Barranquilla (CFT), he was arrested in 1993 for alleged irregular management, being acquitted after the investigation.
With his recognized ability, he continued to gain space in Barranquilla society. Since 1998 he has been president of the committee that chooses the candidates for the beauty pageant in Cartagena (his daughter, Laura Jesurún, was Queen of the Atlántico in 2010). Linked to the Atlético Junior club, he became its president in 1997. He rose through several managerial positions until he became the president of Dimayor, from 2006 to 2015; a position elected by the presidents of the professional league clubs.
Ramón Jesurún. (Sebastian Barros/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)
INVESTIGATED FOR ALLEGED RESALE
Already at the head of the Federation, in 2020, the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) sanctioned him with a multimillion fine to him, several directors and the FCF itself, for his participation in a ticket resale cartel for the Russia 2018 World Cup. The investigation that generated evidence of possible crimes, is still in a state of trial and the internal investigation of the FCF, requested by the Minister of Sport, so far does not move forward. “Definitely no. There is absolutely nothing with FCF directors on the issue of the box office,” the executive said a few months ago.
The son of the head of football in Colombia, the other of those arrested in the incident, is 43 years old and lives in a luxurious county of Miami with his family. The businessman, who also has a master’s degree in International Relations, worked in Colombia in television broadcasting, an activity that at the time generated controversy due to the interests involved. Already installed in Miami, he founded in 2017 Fútbol Fitness Wellness (Fütness), a high-intensity training program that fuses the essence of football with exercise routines.
The main protagonist of the incident, the icing on the cake of a Cup plagued with errors (and horrors), appears as a symptom of the managerial moment of South American football. After the “cleaning” of the “FIFA” case, the new names, with the exceptions of the case, have continued giving reasons for doubt and suspicion. Jesurún, who has been accused but not convicted in investigations that to many in Colombia do not seem to be moving forward, continues to have the majority support of the clubs, so his permanence at the head of the Federation is not in doubt (less so his position as vice-president of CONMEBOL).
Ramón Jesurún’s reaction, when he was not allowed to pass through a door with the haste he wanted, seems to be that of those who have long been accustomed to always passing through, and usually without permission.
