Friday, August 21st 2026 - 10:10 UTC
Prosecutors in La Paz have opened an investigation on their own initiative into alleged illicit enrichment by Argentine political consultant Fernando Cerimedo, who was charged this week in Santa Cruz with attempted femicide following the shooting of his former partner, lawyer Nadia Beller.
As part of that second case, prosecutors and police carried out at least four simultaneous raids on properties linked to the consultant in Bolivia's seat of government. Departmental prosecutor Luis Carlos Torrez said more than half a million bolivianos — around 43,400 dollars — had been found, along with sums in dollars and euros not yet quantified, documents and a set of computer equipment preliminarily identified as a “mini bot farm.” “The names of many people who will be called to testify are coming up,” he said.
Beller was shot three times on Monday night outside a hotel in Santa Cruz. She survived and remains in hospital. According to the medical report released by her lawyer, the rounds struck her shoulder, arm and chest without hitting vital organs; her right humerus required a plate.
The custody hearing that was to determine whether Cerimedo remains in pre-trial detention took place on Thursday at the Santa Cruz Palace of Justice but was suspended because the prosecuting team failed to appear, and was rescheduled for Friday. The consultant arrived under police escort, covered his face before the press and said tearfully that he wanted to see his children. On his lawyers' advice he declined to testify. His defence maintains the attack was staged. He has not been convicted in either case.
