Bolivian Vice President Edmand Lara lodged a criminal complaint on Tuesday against First Lady María Elena Urquidi and Argentine political consultant Fernando Cerimedo, accusing them of influence peddling and illicit enrichment based on an unverified audio recording.

The legal complaint additionally charges the pair with undue influence, criminal association, criminal organization, contracts harmful to the State, and illicit enrichment by private individuals affecting State interests.

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The recording, presented as the cornerstone of the accusation, mentions the names “Miguelito,” “Lupo,” “Tuco Oviedo”—identified as Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo—and “Paredes,” alongside allusions to ministers and other authorities of the Executive Branch. The plaintiff has formally requested the fiscal authority to forward the digital file to the Institute of Forensic Investigations (IDIF) for specialized phonetic analysis to verify the content’s authenticity and confirm the speakers’ identities.

At a press conference, Vice President Lara stated that the Prosecutor’s Office, through the corresponding expert analysis, will determine the voices’ authenticity and the case’s scope. He noted that the source data for the audios, which reportedly date to June, were handed over to the Public Ministry.

Cerimedo is currently held in pretrial detention in Bolivia after being prosecuted for alleged illicit enrichment, in addition to facing open cases for attempted femicide—against his ex-partner, attorney Nadia Beller—and family and domestic violence reported in July.

Beller has publicly challenged the circulated material, asserting on her social media that the voice on the audio does not correspond to Cerimedo, and that the same applies to the voice attributed to Urquidi.

President Rodrigo Paz noted last week that the foreign consultant participated in his 2025 presidential runoff campaign but never had authorization to represent his Government or his family, and said there was no contract or direct working relationship. Regarding the fresh complaint, Paz reiterated his institutional stance on the eve, calling to let the Justice system carry out its work without issuing further assessments.

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