An in-depth, independent investigation must be conducted into the escape of federal MP Alexander Ramajim (PL-RJ) to the United States. Ramajim had been indicted since March as one of eight members of the main group of the coup plot involving former President Jair Bolsonaro. He was banned from leaving the country and had to surrender all his passports. None of this was enough to prevent him from escaping justice.
Alexandre de Moraes, the rapporteur of the case at the Federal Supreme Court, voted on Tuesday, September 9, to convict all those accused of the coup, including Ramajim, the director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN) in the Bolsonaro government. On that particular night, Ramajim, who had worked for the federal police before pursuing his political career, arrived in Roraima apparently unattended. The next day, he quietly crossed the land border with Guyana. On Thursday, September 11, when the first panel of the Supreme Court formed a majority to sentence him to 16 years in prison, he was already in Miami. He is suspected of entering the country on a canceled passport since June.
- Deputy: Outside the country, Ramajim provided feedback to the chamber at gas stations in Rio at the same time as the vote
The pitfalls did not stop there. Apparently, it took the police a month to discover the escape. Rebecca Ramajim, the convicted MP’s wife, and their two daughters later traveled to the United States. Today the family is together in Miami. Donald Trump is unpredictable, but if he maintains the standard in defending Bolsonaro, he will make Ramajem’s extradition difficult. The chamber stated in a memorandum that he submitted a medical certificate from September 9 to October 8 and from October 13 to December 12. Surprisingly, the first absence did not attract the attention of the police.
- Frenzy: The president of the International Court of Justice in the chamber says the removal of an MP should not be automatic and must be voted on
It cannot be said that escape was a far-fetched hypothesis. In May, federal representative Carla Zambelli (PL-SP) was sentenced to ten years in prison and the loss of her mandate due to her involvement in the invasion of the systems of the National Council of Justice. Twenty days later, he crossed the border with Argentina using an Italian passport and arrived in Buenos Aires. She boarded a plane to the United States, and from there she went to Italy, where she was imprisoned. In July, Senator Markus do Waal (Podemos-ES) traveled to the United States, contrary to the decision of the Special Task Force. A confiscation order for his passport was issued in August 2024. He was suspected of participating in a group engaging in a campaign of intimidation against federal police officers. Only after his return from the United States did he become the target of an armed forces operation, and his passport was confiscated.
It is urgent to know how the police failed to escape Ramajim, a member of the coup leadership. There were no 8000, 800 or 80 goals, just eight. Upon escaping from prison, Ramajim mocks the judiciary, Brazilians, and the democracy he tried to destroy. If failures are motivated by incompetence, negligence or intent to assist, those responsible should be punished accordingly. Investigations must be extensive to find out whether there was anyone who helped him inside or outside the police force.