When they began to flee to and seek refuge in the country, especially from April to August, those convicted of the coup attacks of January 8, 2023 thought they would find a way out there. But the balance of 2024 is one of frustration.
Despite what many imagined, the ultra-liberal president did not implement any movement in favor of them — at least for now. There was an expectation among many of them that Casa Rosada would grant them political asylum or change things to speed up the processing of their asylum requests; So far, there is no indication of this.
Without the affection of the leader of meteoric rise in the ultra-right, from whom they are now asking for solidarity in videos on social media, the fugitives approach the end of the year with a bucket of cold water and are in the sights of the Argentine police. More than 50 of them are wanted by security agents. Another five have been in prison for a month.
Afterwards, the police carried out searches at the addresses they declared when requesting Argentine documentation. None of them were at their respective locations, officials involved in the matter told the report.
In about a month, only five of them were detained. The first hearings of their cases must be called by the end of January, when the Prosecutor’s Office and defense lawyers, most of them public defenders, will be able to present or request precautionary measures. Everyone remains in prison. In the future, they will be able to appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice if the federal court decides to extradite them.
Argentina, therefore, ceased to be an escape route. The fugitives who were previously seen in common public spaces of the local Brazilian community now have a low profile. Others have already left the country, according to initial information available to the Brazilian government. Their destinations would be Argentina’s neighbors Peru and Chile.
On social media, one of the fugitives against whom there is an arrest warrant made a video asking supporters to transfer money to him via Pix. It was not possible to go out into the street, nor work, due to the fear of being arrested, he explained. The video was later deleted.
Another fugitive, Ueliton Guimarães de Macedo, could often be seen in a Brazilian restaurant serving pastries, coxinha and sugarcane juice near Avenida 9 de Julho, one of the main arteries of . There, I worked and talked with the Brazilian community (many students) who were looking for a taste of the cuisine of their homeland.
Macedo was arrested in January 2023 for attacks on the headquarters of the three Powers. After his release, he went to a popular jury and was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He has not been to the restaurant for a few weeks now, according to local employees who say that Macedo had gone to La Plata, the Argentine city where the first two fugitives detained in the country were arrested, but that they have not heard from him since.
The reporter sent messages to him on his social networks, but received no response.
Those convicted of actions related to January 8 requested refuge in Argentina, protection granted under international law to people who are persecuted in their countries. In theory, the status would only be given if the body responsible for the issue understood that these Brazilians are politically persecuted in Brazil.
Refugee analyzes tend to take time, and their procedures are confidential to preserve the rights of applicants. Conare, the Argentine body responsible for the issue, however, is not seen as entirely independent. The final decision on refuge rests with a group of authorities from ministries such as Security and Foreign Affairs.
Local law establishes that asylum seekers cannot be extradited until the analysis of their requests has been completed (if they are granted refuge, the extradition order is annulled). Before, fugitives were more attached to this. But the decision on the arrest warrants, unexpected by them, took them by surprise and made them recalculate their route.
Brazilian diplomats await the next steps, but are skeptical about the possibility of Milei intervening in the matter. So far, the government has said that it will follow what the Court orders. For Brazilian authorities, even though he has a sour relationship with President Lula (PT), the Argentine would not decide to buy into this essentially political fight.
At other times, the Milei government has said through different spokespeople that it is open to receiving political persecution. The message was aimed at Venezuela, under the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro. There has never been a similar public message for Brazilian fugitives.
Recently, federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP) was in the country and visited some of the detainees in prison. He was accompanied by María Celeste Ponce, a national deputy for Milei’s party who has marginal relevance in the political game.
The first half of 2025, therefore, should bring the first international decisions on those convicted of January 8th.
