On Saturday, Bolivian prosecutors filed a second set of charges—this time for illicit enrichment—against Fernando Cerimedo, the controversial Argentine personal advisor to President Rodrigo Paz. Cerimedo’s case has triggered a political earthquake in the Andean nation following the shooting of his girlfriend by two gunmen.
The digital strategist appeared virtually from his cell in a Santa Cruz prison, where he is being held in pretrial detention for six months on charges of attempted femicide. Meanwhile, Saturday’s court hearing took place in La Paz, where prosecutors opened a new case after discovering money at the suspect’s residences.
Cerimedo advised on the runoff election that Paz won and was present during the start of the president’s administration, though he held no formal position within the state structure, according to presidential spokesperson José Luis Gálvez. Photos released by his girlfriend show Cerimedo near the president alongside government ministers.
“I came to Bolivia to set up my digital companies and planned to bring my family over. I had a friendly conversation with the president (Rodrigo Paz); I was traveling constantly, and the president needed someone permanently on-site—a role I couldn’t fulfill. My relationship with Nadia Beller (his girlfriend) was just a fling, and the entire accusation is based on TikTok. It ruined my life,” Cerimedo said during the pretrial hearing.
Beller, a 33-year-old lawyer, accused the Argentine advisor of sending hitmen to assassinate her in order to silence her. She survived three non-fatal gunshot wounds. She linked her boyfriend to alleged business dealings with the government and unleashed a barrage of accusations implicating the president’s family, two ministers, and several lawmakers in bribery schemes—marking one of the biggest scandals Paz has faced. In a televised address two days ago, the Bolivian leader distanced himself from Cerimedo, stating that the latter had no formal employment relationship with the government and had not acted on behalf of his administration or his family. “He [Cerimedo] never had authorization to represent this Bolivian, the Presidency, the government, or my family,” he said.
Prosecutors reported that, during the raids, they seized $500,000—along with unspecified amounts of local currency and euros—from the Argentine advisor. Cerimedo stated on Saturday that his annual income reaches one million dollars.
The strategist also served as an advisor for the presidential campaign of Argentine President Javier Milei and worked on other right-wing campaigns across the continent.
