Argentine consultant Fernando Cerimedo was ordered to spend 180 days in pretrial detention over an alleged attempted femicide and corruption.
A Bolivian judge has ordered Argentine political consultant Fernando Cerimedo to spend 180 days in pretrial detention over an alleged attempted femicide and corruption, following a shooting that seriously wounded his former partner, Nadia Beller.
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Judge Wilson Espada approved the detention on Friday at the request of Bolivia’s Public Prosecutor’s Office. Cerimedo will be held at the maximum-security section of Palmasola prison in Santa Cruz.
Cerimedo, who advised Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, faces five judicial proceedings, including a case involving alleged attempted femicide and corruption.
The ruling followed an Aug. 17 shooting targeting Beller, who was pregnant when she was attacked and remains hospitalized after suffering multiple gunshot wounds. Her statements, along with call records and recovered deleted chats, form part of the evidence cited in the investigation.
Fernando Cerimedo, asesor de Pdte. Rodrigo Paz, cumplirá detención preventiva de seis meses (180 días) en el penal de Palmasola de Santa Cruz, mientras se investiga la acusación de tentativa de femicidio contra su ex pareja Nadia Beller, quien sobrevivió a 3 disparos. @teleSURtv pic.twitter.com/GXzVXEaEoS
— Freddy Morales (@FreddyteleSUR) August 22, 2026
Text Reads: Fernando Cerimedo, advisor to President Rodrigo Paz, will serve a six-month (180-day) preventive detention in the Palmasola prison in Santa Cruz, while the accusation of attempted femicide against his ex-partner Nadia Beller, who survived 3 shots, is investigated.
Prosecutors also presented messages allegedly sent by Cerimedo. One read: “Nadia sold us out. Either we get rid of her or we’re screwed. Do you know anyone who could do that job?” Another message directed at Beller said: “You’re going to screw us all over. Don’t do that, wait a few days.”
Investigators also identified messages from a contact using the pseudonym ECG. Beller and former President Evo Morales have identified the contact as Erick Correa González, described as the head of intelligence in Paz’s government.
Cerimedo’s lawyers, Ernesto Giraldes and Margarita Arce, challenged the proceedings, alleging that his cellphone had been accessed without defense oversight, that his detention was arbitrary and that he was not brought before a judge promptly. Espada rejected those arguments, saying the evidence, including messages attributed to Cerimedo, justified the preventive measure.
Cerimedo was arrested on Aug. 20 in Aranjuez, La Paz. More than 500,000 Bolivian pesos, as well as U.S. dollars and euros, were seized during the operation, according to departmental prosecutor Carlos Torres.
Authorities also discovered what they described as a bot farm allegedly used to manipulate social media trends through mass interactions. Investigators are still determining the scale and purpose of the technological operation.
The shooting came after Beller announced plans to report an alleged corruption network in which, according to the investigation, Cerimedo worked with Paz and his wife, Maria Elena Urquidi. Urquidi allegedly acted as an intermediary in some transactions.
The case has drawn international attention. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly described Cerimedo as a “feminicide” following the alleged attempted killing.
Despite the controversy surrounding Cerimedo’s detention, Argentine President Javier Milei, described as a close ally of the consultant, still plans to attend the second edition of the “Gala Hispana,” organized by Latino Wall Street and La Derecha Diario, a media outlet founded by Cerimedo.
The investigation remains focused on the shooting of Beller and the alleged corruption network, while Bolivian authorities continue examining the evidence and the technological infrastructure seized during Cerimedo’s arrest.
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