Allegations of U.S. Interference in Bolivia: QR Codes Distributed to Legislators to Influence Vote Against Prosecutor Investigating Cerimedo

Original article: Denuncian injerencia de EE.UU. en Bolivia: reparto de QR a legisladores para condicionar votos contra el fiscal que investigaba a Cerimedo

On Friday, Ana Crispín, a senator from the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), accused a “representative from the United States” of interference during a session of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly (ALP) in Bolivia, stating that QR codes were distributed to some legislators to sway their votes in favor of the ruling party’s proposal to dismiss Attorney General Roger Mariaca, who was leading the investigation into the Cerimedo case.

«An Americas representative from the United States was there with his laptop, handing QR codes to a congresswoman. We caught him in the act, and they locked themselves in an office. They aren’t running suitcases; they are distributing QR codes. There’s one from Argentina and another from a different country ensuring their interests are served in this case,» Crispín told the media, as reported by Urgente.bo.

Later, Claudia Peña, former Minister of Autonomies under ex-president Evo Morales, reposted a message identifying the QR distributor as Hermes Grullón, who is said to work for the U.S. foreign service.

According to information published on the website of the National Endowment for Democracy in the U.S., Grullón is a foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State.

This information was confirmed by Bolivia Verifica, which indicated that Grullón himself provided the QR code that he shared during the ALP session.

«He explained that it was a WhatsApp contact QR code, used to share contact details and facilitate communication via that application,» the cited outlet reported.

Spanish analyst Julián Macías Tovar pointed out that the QR codes distributed by the U.S. State Department official were intended for setting up personal meetings and influencing votes.

Attorney General Investigating Cerimedo Case Suspended

During the Friday session, the Plurinational Legislative Assembly (ALP) decided to permanently suspend Roger Mariaca from his position as Attorney General, with 113 votes cast in favor out of the 128 legislators present in the chamber.

The resolution was passed following the promulgation of modifications to the Public Ministry Law by the government of Rodrigo Paz, which specifies that the Attorney General can be suspended when there is an indictment against them or a precautionary measure in place.

Subsequent to the U.S. Department of State announcing the revocation of their visas, Mariaca and the district attorney of Santa Cruz, Alberto Zeballos, were intercepted and detained last Wednesday at the Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz.

In parallel, other prosecutors were apprehended during operations in Santa Cruz and Sucre, Chuquisaca.

The visa revocation and entry ban to the U.S. also affected other current and former Bolivian officials, as well as citizens of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, under the Shield of the Americas mechanism initiated by former President Donald Trump.

«Mariaca, elected in 2024 for a six-year term as Attorney General during the presidency of the far-left Luis Arce, previously served as Attorney General of Santa Cruz, and abused his public office by soliciting and accepting bribes to facilitate drug trafficking and assist violent criminals in evading justice,» U.S. officials stated to justify the action.

Political analyst Vladimir Torrez described Mariaca’s ousting as the «beginning of the implementation of the Shield of the Americas and the weight of U.S. influence in Bolivian politics.»

Conversely, political expert Marcelo Arequipa noted that the arrest of Mariaca signifies the Bolivian government’s intent to set the case involving right-wing political operator Fernando Cerimedo aside, who is currently imprisoned in Chonchocoro for alleged attempted femicide, accused of allegedly hiring «hitmen» to murder his ex-partner, attorney Nadia Beller.

The former advisor to President Rodrigo Paz also faces open cases for money laundering, domestic violence, and alleged protection of flights linked to drug trafficking.