Manouchehri Presses La Moneda to Disclose Kast’s Ties to Controversial Political Consultant Cerimedo

Original article: ¿Qué relación tuvo Kast con Cerimedo?: Manouchehri oficia a La Moneda y exige transparentar vínculos, campañas y financiamiento

Deputy Daniel Manouchehri (PS) announced that he will formally request La Moneda to clarify the connections between far-right political operator Fernando Cerimedo and political campaigns, particularly those involving President José Antonio Kast and his circle.

The recent arrest of the Argentine consultant in Bolivia, who is facing a charge for attempted femicide against his ex-partner Nadia Beller, has reignited controversy over his influence on electoral processes in Latin America, where he reportedly used fake accounts, bots, and trolls alongside false information. This was documented in 2022 when Cerimedo’s company, Numen, operated in Chile to promote the «Rechazo» option during the exit plebiscite.

During a raid on a high-end residence in La Paz—reportedly used by Cerimedo—the Bolivian prosecutor’s office discovered around $50,000 in local currency, dollars, and euros, in addition to a bot farm employed to generate thousands of messages on social media through artificially created accounts, similar to the 50,000 bots he admitted were operating in Argentina during a May 2023 interview with Infobae, as well as others utilized in Chile.

These revelations have raised questions regarding the involvement of the advisor’s company with far-right figures such as Javier Milei in Argentina, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Rodrigo Paz in Bolivia, and Nasry Asfura in Honduras, as payments were made for his participation in Chilean campaigns.

Manouchehri Calls on La Moneda to Clarify the Relationship Between Kast and Cerimedo

In light of these developments, Deputy Manouchehri stated in a message on social media that «Fernando Cerimedo, linked to bot farms and misinformation campaigns, worked in Chile,» emphasizing that La Moneda must explain its connections to President Kast.

«Did he have links with Kast? In which campaigns did he participate? Who hired him? Who financed him? Were any Republican leaders involved?» he questioned, asserting that «Chile deserves to know.»

The legislator noted that the case gained new urgency after El Mostrador revealed that Alejandro Irarrázaval, the current head of advisors in La Moneda, and the head of the Communications Secretariat (Secom), Felipe Costabal, also known as ‘Yeti’, were part of Casa Común, a group of businessmen associated with the Rechazo campaign that Cerimedo engaged through Numen, where he was hired to conduct surveys of dubious methodology.

«El Mostrador revealed that Kast’s chief advisor and another former advisor from La Moneda were part of the group that hired services from Fernando Cerimedo, the far-right digital operator responsible for bot farms and misinformation,» expressed Manouchehri.

The lawmaker suggested that since the far-right president condemned digital harassment, he would take him at his word and proceed to request La Moneda to clarify the relationship between his team and Cerimedo, detailing which campaigns he worked on and who financed his services.

«Misinformation is not a game on the internet. It operates like a machine. It has operators and financiers. Chile deserves to know who they are,» he affirmed.