Ramon Salazar (24 character)

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24 character
Image:Salazar24.jpg
Ramon Salazar
Gender:	Male
Jobs held:	Drug dealer, narcoterrorist
Affiliation:	Self-employed, with Hector Salazar
Family:	Hector Salazar (Brother) (Deceased)
Spouse:	NA
Current status:	Deceased
Portrayed by:	Joaquim de Almeida
Seasons:	3

Ramon Salazar was a fictional character from the third season of the television series 24. He was played by Joaquim de Almeida.

Ramon Salazar was a Mexican narcoterrorist. Along with his younger brother Hector, he ran one of the largest drug smuggling rings in Mexico, and was also involved in drugs for arms sales. Salazar was a ruthless sociopath, quick to kill anyone who appeared to be disloyal or simply outlived their usefulness.

Approximately six months prior to Day 3, Jack Bauer partook in an undercover operation designed to bring Salazar down. The operation ended with Salazar's capture, but at a heavy price, Jack's cover was that of a mercenary with a heroin addiction, and he ended up becoming addicted to the drug. Salazar himself would later comment that Jack did not need to go so far to maintain his cover, accusing him of using that rationale as an excuse to exorcise personal demons.

At the start of Day 3, Ramon is in prison while Hector is running the family business. The elder Salazar kills his own lawyer in cold blood, citing that he knew too much, and blackmails a guard into killing the DA. It is around this time that Hector threatens to unleash a virus unless his brother is freed from prison. Jack risks his career to break into the prison to get Salazar out. The two enemies are forced to become allies as a riot occurs, and they are forced to play Russian roulette by the psychotic inmates. The two manage to shoot their way out and fly back to Mexico, where Jack is welcomed by Hector. It is revealed that Hector's threat was an elaborate ruse. Jack had learned that scientists from a Ukrainian biochemical facility had sold one of their viruses, codenamed Cordilla, to a man named Michael Amador. Fearful that the Cordilla Virus might end up in terrorist hands, Jack devised a plan for Salazar to purchase the virus from Amador, then a military team would move in and confiscate it. He convinced Hector that he had gone rogue, and lures him with the profit potential of selling the Cordilla virus on the black market. Ramon is skeptical, thinking that Jack may be setting him up. He forces Jack to prove his loyalty to the Salazar family by torturing his partner, Chase Edmunds, who had followed Jack to Mexico.

Eventually, Salazar agrees to participate in the auction, but he is outbid by Nina Myers, who was representing an unknown client. They kidnap Nina and force her to turn the virus over to them after making the pickup. Nina tells Hector that Jack is playing him and his brother, and this causes him to get cold feet. By this time, Ramon was fully committed to purchasing Cordilla, and he kills Hector when he tries to back out.

As soon as Nina hands over the vial containing the virus, Salazar pulls a gun on Jack and is about to kill him. Jack is saved by timely arrival of Delta Force commandos. During the ensuing battle, Salazar is shot by Chase (who escaped the Salazar estate and joined up with the commandos), but flees with the virus in his possession. Jack and Chase eventually corner Salazar, who says he would rather die than go back to prison. Just as Salazar is finally convinced to hand over the virus, it explodes, killing him.

It turns out that the auction was really a scam by Amador to make some extra money for himself, as he had already sold the real Cordilla virus to Stephen Saunders.

[edit] Trivia

• At the end of the episode where Jack Bauer and Ramon Salazar are forced to play Russian roulette, Kiefer Sutherland (who plays Jack) made a public service announcement about gun safety.

• Salazar is mentioned, but not seen, in 24: The Game.

• The name Ramon Salazar is shared with a villain from the videogame Resident Evil 4.

• Coincidentally or not, "Salazar" was also the surname of the infamous Portuguese dictator.

• Salazar's character nickname on the website Television Without Pity was "Felipe Hartmano," due to his resemblance to actor Phil Hartman.

Preceded by: Marie Warner

24 1st plot lead villain Season Three

Succeeded by: Omar