Far-Right Operator Arrested: Milei and Bolsonaro Strategist Suspected of Hiring Hitmen in Ex-Partner Shooting

Original article: Cae operador de la ultraderecha regional: detienen a estratega de Milei y Bolsonaro acusado de contratar sicarios que balearon a su expareja

Fernando Cerimedo, a political operator of Latin American far-right movements, was arrested on Tuesday at the Viru Viru airport in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, while attempting to flee to Buenos Aires after being accused of hiring hitmen who shot his ex-partner, lawyer Nadia Beller.

The operation, carried out by the Special Force to Fight Crime (FELCC), thwarted the escape of the consultant and advisor to prominent figures such as Javier Milei and Mauricio Macri in Argentina, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Rodrigo Paz in Bolivia, and Nasry Asfura in Honduras, as he was trying to board a flight.

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According to Página/12, Bolivian authorities accuse Cerimedo of being the mastermind behind the attempted murder of Beller after hiring two or three hitmen, who shot Beller at the hotel where both were staying.

The attackers reportedly posed as delivery personnel to approach the victim without arousing suspicion and shot her at close range at the entrance of the SwissHotel, in Santa Cruz.

The hitmen, allegedly contracted by Cerimedo, carried out the attack against the backdrop of a relationship marked by episodes of violence, according to Bolivian media. However, prior to the attack, the political advisor denied this version on his social media, calling it «a lie spread solely to tarnish the reputation of two public figures for political purposes.»

Latin American Far-Right Operator

The consultant is known for his ties to a network of far-right bots in Latin America and for being responsible for multiple defamation campaigns and fake news on social media.

Additionally, he is the founder and shareholder of Derecha Diario, which has portals in Argentina, Mexico, the United States, Israel, Uruguay, and Ecuador to promote content related to the far-right.

This key outlet in libertarian communication is edited by Madero Media Group SRL, which is related to Numen Publicidad, the company where Cerimedo serves as CEO.

Bot Network and Milei’s Strategist

The consultant admitted to using thousands of trolls and bots during the electoral campaign for Javier Milei, where he acted as a strategist associated with Santiago Caputo.

He is not only a key player in the internal dynamics of the La Libertad Avanza (LLA) government, but also a crucial witness in the case regarding alleged irregularities in the National Disability Agency (ANDIS) that shakes the foundations of Milei’s administration.

Before prosecutor Franco Piccardi, Cerimedo declared that the former director of ANDIS, Diego Spagnuolo, had confessed to him about the existence of 3% kickbacks for the general secretariat of the Presidency and the sister of the Argentine president, Karina Milei.

Advisor to Bolsonaro, Paz, and Asfuera

His career also positions him as an advisor to Jair Bolsonaro, and he was implicated in the attempted coup, which is the reason why the former president was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison for conspiring against the democratic order after his defeat in the 2022 elections against the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Cerimedo also served as an advisor to the government of Rodrigo Paz in Bolivia and advised Nasry Asfura in his presidential campaign in Honduras, where he was criticized for his constant meddling in internal affairs, commenting on the electoral process and even criticizing the work of the president of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Ana Paola Hall.

Across all these fronts, the consultant has built a power network that now wobbles in light of evidence that he may have crossed the line from dirty online warfare to violence against his ex-partner.