Five fugitives from the January 8th robbery await extradition trial in Argentina.

247 - Almost five months after the Argentine courts ordered the arrest of approximately 60 Brazilians convicted for participating in the coup attempts of January 8, 2023, only five have been detained and are now awaiting trial in Argentina. Buenos AiresThe extradition hearings, initially scheduled for February, were postponed due to appeals from the defense, but are now expected to take place between April and May.

Judge Daniel Rafecas, head of the 3rd Federal Court, will conduct the hearings for the five detainees in Greater Buenos Aires. If the extradition is confirmed, the defendants may appeal to the Supreme Court. ArgentinaThe Court of Appeals has already denied previous appeals from the defense.

In an interview, Judge Rafecas observed a "clear coordinated effort to flee Argentina," considering the low number of arrests since the warrants were issued. There are indications that some fugitives may have traveled to the United States and Mexico by land.

The detainees are: Joelton Gusmão de Oliveira (sentenced to 17 years in prison), Rodrigo de Freitas Moro Ramalho (14 years), Joel Borges Correa (13 years), Wellington Luiz Firmino (17 years), and Ana Paula de Souza (14 years).

The case is noteworthy because the five individuals sought refuge in Argentina, alleging political persecution. Argentine law dictates that asylum seekers cannot be extradited while their applications are under review, a process that can take years.

Last October, Javier Milei's government changed internal rules to prevent granting refugee status to individuals accused or convicted of serious crimes. It is unclear whether the fugitives from the January 8th incident fall into this category under local law.

This situation generated dissatisfaction among the detainees regarding milei, previously seen as a possible ally who would grant them asylum. Some of the prisoners wrote letters from prison, which were made public. Ana Paula de Souza, for example, expressed hope that "'Libertad, carajo' will be more concrete action than empty words," referring to the slogan of the Milei government, which prioritizes economic and individual freedoms.

To date, the Argentine government has stated that it will follow judicial decisions regarding extradition requests and has denied any "pact of impunity with Bolsonaro supporters." Federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), currently in the United States and on leave from his mandate, visited Buenos Aires to request that Milei assist the fugitives, even visiting them in prison.

(With information from Folha de S. Paulo)