Jul 14, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; fans rush the gates before the Copa America Final match between Argentina and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports The president of the Colombia Football Federation and his son were among those arrested by Miami-Dade police amid chaos before and after the Copa America final on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Ramon Jesurun and his son, Ramon Jamil Jesurun, were charged with three felony counts of battery on a specified official or employee after allegedly fighting security guards as they tried to gain access to the field after the match at Hard Rock Stadium.
After Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 in the tournament’s final, Jesurun, 71, and his son, 43, “became irate” at a security guard and began to shout at him, according to the police report. It became physical after the guard asked the men to back up and placed a palm on the younger Jesurun’s chest.
The younger Jesurun then grabbed the guard by the neck and punched him, according to the report. After several more guards got involved, the men were booked into a local jail close to 4:10 a.m. Monday.
They were scheduled to appear in bond court on Monday afternoon.
The elder Jesurun not only serves as president of Colombia’s soccer federation, but also as a vice president of CONMEBOL — the South American organizing body for the sport — in addition to holding a spot on the FIFA Council.
The match was marred from the get-go, as, according to officials, “thousands” of fans without tickets pushed through barriers to enter the stadium. The start of the match, originally scheduled for 8 p.m. local time, was delayed more than 75 minutes.
Video on social media showed fans not only forcing their way through the gates, but even crawling through vents in the stadium to make it inside.
Miami-Dade police said Monday that they made 27 arrests and 55 ejections at Hard Rock Stadium.
On Sunday night, “our law enforcement teams responded swiftly to handle an extremely challenging, dangerous situation posing life safety concerns for attendees,” James Reyes, chief of public safety for Miami-Dade County, told news organizations in a statement.
“We are working with the event organizers to conduct a comprehensive review of all safety and security protocols, as we continue to prepare for the World Cup in 2026.”
CONMEBOL — which has been widely criticized for its organization of the tournament — blamed “Hard Rock Stadium authorities” in a statement of its own. The governing body’s statement did not comment on Jesurun’s arrest.
“(Sunday), the most challenging tournament in history organized by CONMEBOL together with CONCACAF concluded, reaching record figures in venues, attendance, audience and staff dedicated to its organization, with more than 42,000 collaborators,” CONMEBOL’s statement said. “As it is already known, during the final held in Miami, fans without tickets went to the stadium’s vicinity, which delayed the normal access of people who did have tickets, slowing down the entry and leading to the closure of doors.
“In this situation, CONMEBOL was subject to the decisions made by the Hard Rock Stadium authorities, according to the contractual responsibilities established for security operations.
“In addition to the preparations determined in this contract, CONMEBOL recommended to these authorities the procedures proven in events of this magnitude, which were NOT taken into account. We regret that the acts of violence caused by malicious individuals have tarnished a final that was ready to be a great sports celebration.”
–Field Level Media
