Ramón Jesurún: the scandal at the Copa América and the other controversies that have surrounded the president of the Colombian Football Federation

The end of the 2024 Copa América, played in Miami between Argentina and Colombia, not only left Argentina with a 1-0 victory, but also a scandal with Ramón Jesurún, president of the Colombian Football Federation (FCF), and his son, Ramón Jamil. This incident added to the previous controversy over ticket scalping and stadium entry logistics.

After the match, when Jesurún and his family tried to enter the field to participate in the awards ceremony, they encountered an obstacle. According to information obtained by EL TIEMPO, Logistics personnel prevented access despite having the corresponding authorization. In this context, Ramón Jamil physically assaulted the person in charge of the security zone.

Sources consulted reveal that Ramón Jesurún, when trying to break up the fight, also intervened verbally. The situation escalated until Jamil and the security guard exchanged blows. Police intervened, arresting both the son of the FCF president and security personnel.

Following the altercation, Ramón Jesurún was issued a police ticket, which prevented him from attending the awards ceremony. On the other hand, it was confirmed that Ramón Jamil was arrested.

This is not Ramón Jesurún’s first scandal, as he has been involved in several controversies in the past.

His first controversy

According to the newspaper ‘El Cinco Cero’, Ramón Jesurún studied business administration at the Universidad del Norte. During the 1980s, he established close relationships with politicians such as Pedro Martín Leyes and Próspero ‘Pipo’ Carbonell McCausland, as well as meeting Fuad Char, owner of Junior de Barranquilla.

Thanks to these contacts, he was appointed manager of the Transport Finance Corporation (CFT), a crucial entity for the country’s public transport, according to ‘The Five Zero’ . In September 1990, the first protests by transporters arose, criticising the import of inefficient taxis from Europe and the Soviet Union and demanding better conditions for scrapping buses and obtaining favourable loans.

The media outlet ‘El Cinco Cero’ reported in 2022 that the scandal broke out in October 1990 when the Comptroller General’s Office reported irregularities at the CFT, revealing losses of at least 700 million pesos. Jesurún dismissed the seriousness of the matter, arguing that the Banking Superintendency, and not the Comptroller’s Office, was the appropriate body to investigate. Ernesto Samper, then Minister of Economic Development, requested a restructuring of the CFT, which led to Jesurún’s departure.

At the end of 1990, he was appointed executive president of Junior de Barranquilla.in an attempt by the club to adopt a more collegial governance structure.

In 1991, further details of irregularities at the CFT were revealed. A report showed that the entity had been looted from within, granting loans to people unrelated to the transport sector and disproportionately overvaluing collateral. A plot of land purchased for 2 million pesos, for example, was recorded with a commercial value of 900 million, resulting in a loan of at least 200 million. The Comptroller’s Office documented valuation differences that reached 941 million pesos.

However, in the end nothing happened, as Jesurún maintained his innocence and no wrongdoing on his part was ever proven.

Ticket scalping during Russia 2018 qualifiers

In March 2024, Ramón Jesurún was interviewed on the program “Sin Anestesia” on La Luciérnaga de Caracol Radio and Red+ Noticias, where he was asked about several topics, including ticket scalping during the qualifiers for Russia 2018.

Jesurún said that the investigation into ticket reselling is closed, as the Prosecutor’s Office did not find any guilty parties among the FCF members. In his words: “The Prosecutor’s Office has absolutely nothing to
do with FCF executives regarding the ticketing issue. The investigation is ongoing, but none of the executives have been found guilty.”

The president added that the prosecution closed the case two years ago and that he was never called to testify. He commented: “Two years ago the Prosecutor’s Office closed the case (…) I have not been called once to the Prosecutor’s Office (…) what came out on Sunday is pure fallacies, a headline in bad faith. We are used to that, I already have a turtle shell (…) many people are hurt, they get angry when they say that there is nothing in the Prosecutor’s Office because, as some journalists promised, we were going to jail, that there was blood, that we had to give up football and nothing happened because our conscience is clear.”

Daniela Lararte Asaad

DIGITAL REACH EDITORIAL

TIME

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