The Argentine political consultant Fernando Cerimedo, detained in Bolivia for a week, has broken his silence with a letter sent from the Palmasola prison center in Santa Cruz. In the letter, Cerimedo maintains his innocence and describes the attack on his ex-partner, lawyer Nadia Beller, as "a personal situation that I could not handle."
Cerimedo is accused of being the intellectual author of a shooting attack on Beller, which occurred on the night of August 17, when two hitmen fired three shots at her. The lawyer survived and directly pointed to him as responsible. Additionally, he faces proceedings for illicit enrichment and covering up drug trafficking, after more than 40,000 dollars in local currency and business cards identifying him as "principal advisor" to Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz were found at his home.
Cerimedo's Letter: 'Soon the Truth Will Come to Light'
In his letter, Cerimedo reaffirms his innocence and criticizes what he considers a political campaign against him. "Lies and gossip do not constitute facts," he wrote, adding: "I never participated in shady deals or any type of act in my name, much less in the name of the president's wife."
The consultant also referred to the attack on Beller: "I deeply regret that a personal situation that I could not handle has become a matter of political interest for those who do not want to get Bolivia out of the hole that 20 years of Evoism put them in." He concluded: "Soon the truth of this atrocity will come to light."
Cerimedo's Role in Paz's Government: Advisor or Strategist?
President Rodrigo Paz denied that Cerimedo was his official advisor and assured that he never had authorization to represent the Government. However, he acknowledged that Cerimedo worked on his electoral campaign and in the first months of his administration as an "international order strategist," limited to the communications sphere.
But the evidence contradicts this version. Cerimedo participated in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the Shield of the Americas summit in March 2026, alongside Paz and former Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo. He was also present at the protocol greeting to the King of Spain during his official visit to Bolivia. And the business cards found during the raid identified him as "principal advisor."
Vice President Lara had stated that Cerimedo was Paz's "personal advisor" and asked him not to cover for him. Meanwhile, a compliance action was filed before the First Constitutional Chamber of La Paz to activate a trial of responsibilities against the president for alleged "treason against the homeland." Paz's wife, María Elena Urquidi, was also denounced for alleged acts of corruption.
Who Is Alejandro Sarubbi Benítez, Cerimedo's Argentine Lawyer?
In Argentina, Cerimedo's defense is led by Alejandro Sarubbi Benítez, a libertarian lawyer linked to La Libertad Avanza and the streaming show "La Trinchera" on the Carajo channel, owned by Daniel Parisini, known as "el Gordo Dan."
Sarubbi Benítez is no stranger to controversy. In the past, he proposed "dropping napalm" on the province of Buenos Aires, "sterilizing the population," and "fencing off the conurbano" (the working-class suburbs around the capital). In 2024, he was sanctioned by the Public Bar Association of the Capital for insults against Supreme Court judges.
Regarding the Cerimedo case, he discredited Beller's version: "Everything the woman said publicly, she officially declared the opposite." Additionally, he has represented figures such as Parisini, Esteban Glavinich, Juan Pablo Carreira (Juan Doe), and Manuel Adorni.
Cerimedo's Profile: From Advisor to Milei and Bolsonaro to Detained in Bolivia
Cerimedo is an Argentine political consultant who advised Javier Milei and Jair Bolsonaro before landing in Bolivia. He worked on Paz's campaign and in the first months of his government. He only recently sold his stake in the libertarian media outlet La Derecha Diario.
Lawyer Beller, for her part, has asked to be a witness in the illicit enrichment case, and her lawyer has requested her inclusion in the witness protection program. The case continues to add chapters and promises more developments in the coming weeks.