The president of the Colombian Football Federation and his son are among the 27 individuals who were officially arrested during the chaos that erupted on Sunday during the final of the Copa América between Argentina and Colombia.
Ramón Jesurún and his son Ramón Jamil Jesurún were detained after the conclusion of the event at Hard Rock Stadium and were charged, said Miami-Dade police detective Andre Martin in statements to The Associated Press.
Father and son face three charges of assault against a person after being accused of fighting with multiple security guards, as revealed by the source.
According to the police report, both Jesurún and his son were trying to access the field after the game ended, and upon finding the entrance closed, they confronted the security personnel.
The altercation quickly escalated, and reports detail that both men pushed, grabbed by the neck, and kicked an employee, who had to be taken to the hospital.
A widely circulated video on social media about the fight does not allow to appreciate the exact moment when the described physical aggression would have occurred, although several shoves can be seen and there were several minors involved trying to separate.
Father and son, who have already been released on bail, rejected the authorities' version.
"I believe... from what little I have heard, that they have told the story not as it is... in the end, we are all human, that could happen to anyone, and well, we will officially make our statement," said Ramón Jamil as he left jail in statements to Telemundo 51.
The president of the Colombian Football Federation, on the other hand, defended himself against the accusations by insisting that he did not hit anyone and that the police report does not reflect the reality of the events.
"A security guard, one of those who want to show how important they are, denied [the full access authority of Jesurún], I insisted that I could enter and he pushed me, and there was a ridiculous, unfair commotion where children were trampled... investigate," Jesurún declared while showing his "full access" credential to the facilities on camera.
"Because of that man, there were children run over... I defended myself... I didn't hit anyone... that's what the report says, but watch the video," claimed the president of the Colombian Football Federation.
Ramón Jesurún, 71 years old, is a member of FIFA and has been the president of the federation since 2015. It is a unique case that he is also the vice president of CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American soccer that was in charge of organizing the Copa América.
In a statement released on Monday, CONMEBOL expressed regret for the incidents in which multiple fans tried to enter the stadium without tickets, undermining the splendor of the final.
The Hard Rock Stadium pointed out that security was a shared responsibility among the stadium administrators, CONMEBOL, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and the local police.
The mayor of Miami-Dade, Daniella Levine Cava, rejected the idea that the lack of police officers at the stadium was the issue, highlighting that there were over 800 officers and members of other agencies present, compared to the just over 300 that are usually present at the Super Bowl.
Videos and images posted on social media showed the prevailing chaos and sparked concern regarding the 2026 World Cup, as the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, home of the NFL's Dolphins, will host seven matches of the 2026 World Cup, including one quarter-final and the third-place match.
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