The Argentine Government decided to grant refugee status to Joel Borges Correa, a supporter of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who was convicted in his country for the riots that occurred on January 8, 2023 in Brasilia. The resolution was adopted by the National Commission for Refugees (CONARE), an agency that operates under the authority of the Ministry of National Security
.The decision allows him to remain in Argentina and avoid his extradition to Brazil, which had been ordered by federal judge Daniel Rafecas. In his country, Borges Correa faces a sentence of 13 and a half years in prison for crimes linked to the incidents recorded after the inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula
da Silva.
According to the official resolution, the agency evaluated the asylum request and concluded that there is a “well-founded fear of political persecution”. On this basis, the Executive decided to grant him the protection provided for in the Refugee Recognition and Protection Act
.The case is part of the judicial case initiated in Brazil following the episodes of January 8, 2023, when demonstrators entered government buildings in the Plaza of the Three Powers in Brasilia. In this context, Brazilian justice advanced with multiple proscriptions and convictions
against Bolsonarist sympathizers.Borges Correa told Argentine authorities that he entered the country on April 13, 2024 through the Bernardo de Irigoyen border crossing, in the province of Misiones, without being subject to immigration control. According to his testimony, he made that decision out of fear of being arrested.
