Launch of the «Cerimedo Commission»: Chamber to Investigate Bots, Trolls, and Disinformation

Original article: Nace la “Comisión Cerimedo”: Cámara investigará bots, trolls y desinformación

This Wednesday saw the establishment of the Cerimedo Commission, following the approval by the Chamber of Deputies to create this special body tasked with investigating the influence of bots, trolls, and disinformation networks associated with far-right political operator Fernando Cerimedo in Chile.

The initiative was pushed forward by Deputy José Montalva (Ind.-PPD), who managed to gather 62 signatures after a failure to meet the required quorum on Tuesday. Montalva expressed regret that the proposal fell short by just two votes and highlighted the absence of several supportive legislators, noting that some from his own party did not turn up to vote.

Montalva announced he would resubmit the request and worked tirelessly to gather the requisite signatures again. With the signatures secured, the proposal was promptly placed back on the agenda and put to a vote on Wednesday, achieving a different outcome: 69 deputies voted in favor, 43 against, and one abstained, comfortably surpassing the minimum of 62 votes. The abstention came from RN Deputy and Vice President of the Lower House, Ximena Ossandón.

The commission will have a maximum period of 60 days to present its report, with its specific objective, as explained by Ossandón, being to “gather information regarding specific actions of the Government, particularly related to knowledge, prevention, detection, and oversight regarding the use of bots, automated accounts, coordinated amplification networks, trolls, disinformation, algorithmic manipulation of digital platforms, and generative artificial intelligence or other tools since 2020 onwards.”

The focus of the Cerimedo Commission is directed at the Argentine political consultant known in Latin American politics as “the king of trolls,” who was arrested in Bolivia on August 18, facing four charges including attempted femicide against his ex-partner, Nadia Beller; money laundering; domestic violence; and alleged connections to drug trafficking flights.

The Shadow of the King of Trolls in Chile

During a search conducted at a residence he occupied in La Paz, a “mini bot farm” was discovered, used to generate thousands of messages on social media through accounts artificially created by the consultant, including the 50,000 bots he admitted were operational in Argentina during an interview with Infobae in May 2023, along with others used in Chile, highlighting his capacity for large-scale disinformation operations.

Cerimedo was actively involved in Chile during the campaigns for the Rejection in the first constitutional process. Through his company Numen Spa, founded in Chile by lawyer Enrique José García Arancibia, he was contracted in 2020 by the so-called “Casa Común”, a command for Rejection, where he collaborated with the current director of the Communications Secretariat (Secom), Felipe Costabal, and Alejandro Irarrázaval, head of advisors to the Second Floor of La Moneda.

Revelations regarding Cerimedo’s involvement in Chile intensify with statements from Beller, who asserted in an interview with Radio Biobío that the consultant bragged openly about his role in José Antonio Kast’s presidential campaign.

“I am absolutely certain he worked with Kast’s team, as that was something he openly boasted about: that he had created a new president,” Beller claimed, directly linking the consultant to the president.

The investigatory body will now need to verify these claims and determine the actual extent of digital interference in the country’s democratic processes.

Montalva to the Right: What Are You Trying to Hide?

Deputy Montalva praised the approval of the Cerimedo Commission but expressed concern that “a sector in bloc from the right either abstained, did not vote, or simply voted against.”

“This raises the fundamental question: what are they hiding? What do they not want to be investigated?” he stated, emphasizing that the commission’s work will ensure “all Chileans know that their institutions are legitimate, as they are based on elections that involve free and well-informed citizens, not citizens whose reality is at times distorted by digital influences.”

Manouchehri: “We Warn President Kast to Get Ready”

In a similar vein, Deputy Daniel Manouchehri (PS) issued a warning to President Kast, indicating that his team will need to explain their connections to the political operator before the commission.

“We warn President Kast to get ready, as his entire team will have to come to Congress to account for their ties to this nefarious network that has attempted to manipulate our democracy,” he stated.

Manouchehri announced that they will summon all members of the President’s entourage connected to these networks and will request a questionnaire be sent to the president himself, deeming his statements that he had not worked with Cerimedo in any campaign and was not providing consultation to his administration as “absolutely insufficient.”

“Chile deserves the whole truth,” he emphasized.

Deputy Juan Santana (PS) noted that this commission adds to other actions taken by the opposition, such as the complaint filed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the letter sent to the Electoral Service (Servel), and revealed they will meet with Pamela Figueroa, chairperson of the electoral body, to “request a detailed breakdown of President Kast’s campaign expenses.”

The parliamentarian highlighted that it was not them who pointed out the link between Kast’s campaign and the Argentine consultant Fernando Cerimedo, but Agustín Romo, head of digital campaigning for President Milei and now an Argentine deputy, who made it public.