Argentina Cracks Down On 61 Brazilians Fleeing Brasília Riot Charges

Argentina has issued arrest warrants for 61 Brazilian citizens in connection with their involvement in the January 2023 storming of government buildings in Brasília, Brazil. The unrest, led by supporters of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, saw several thousand rioters invade and vandalize the Congress, the presidential palace, and the Supreme Court.

As of Saturday, two individuals have already been detained in Argentina, facing potential prison sentences in Brazil. An Argentine judicial source, speaking anonymously, confirmed the arrest of the two suspects.

In October 2023, Brazil’s judicial authorities filed an extradition request for those who fled to Argentina after the riots, with the Argentine government having received the formal request last month. According to Brazilian federal police, between 50 and 100 Bolsonaro supporters, facing charges of insurrection and vandalism, had crossed into Argentina to avoid legal repercussions in Brazil. Many of these individuals carry heavy convictions from the Brazilian Supreme Court.

Brazil’s former vice-president Hamilton Mourão suggested that the rioters who fled believed they would not receive a fair trial in Brazil. The storming of Brasília’s government buildings closely mirrored the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, which was similarly carried out by supporters of then-President Donald Trump

Following the riots, Brazilian authorities arrested approximately 3,000 people, with about half still in detention. Political tensions flared again in Brazil last week after a bomb attempt targeted the Supreme Court, further solidifying opposition in Congress to proposals for amnesty for those involved in the Brasília attacks.