Original article: “Psicópata virtual”: Santana y Cuello presionan a Kast para que aclare vínculos con Cerimedo

Virtual Psychopath: Santana and Cuello Press Kast for Clarification on Ties with Cerimedo

Deputies Juan Santana (PS) and Luis Cuello (PC) arrived at La Moneda Palace today to deliver a letter addressed to President José Antonio Kast, demanding clarity on whether there are links between officials in his government and Argentine consultant Fernando Cerimedo, infamous as «the king of trolls» for employing fake accounts on social media and digital platforms to promote right-wing content and influence political landscapes and electoral campaigns across Latin America.

«President Kast must be transparent about whether there are connections between his officials and this true virtual psychopath named Fernando Cerimedo,» stated Santana at a press conference.

It is important to note that the far-right political operator has been a focal point in the public discourse following his arrest in Bolivia on August 18, where he currently faces four charges, including attempted femicide against his ex-partner Nadia Beller; money laundering; domestic violence; and alleged facilitation of flights linked to drug trafficking. However, his connections to Chile and the local right-wing are longstanding and deep.

Deputy Santana pointed out that according to official records from the Electoral Service (Servel), the partner of Cerimedo in Chile, lawyer Enrique García, who established the company Numen Spa that «the king of trolls» operated through in our country, made a large financial contribution to a civic organization that disseminated false propaganda during the 2022 constitutional plebiscite.

Specifically, the group «United We Are Stronger» received nearly 33 million pesos in donations, of which 4 million came directly from García, establishing a direct financial link between the consultant’s environment and the spread of misinformation during a crucial electoral process in our country.

«One of the organizations that raised over 30 million pesos for the Rejection campaign, which was subsequently supported by radio dissemination across the entire country, is linked to Enrique García, a lawyer associated with Mr. Cerimedo, who donated 4 million pesos,» Santana noted.

He also recalled that through Numen Spa, the Argentine consultant was hired by the so-called «Common House,» a command for the Rejection, where he collaborated with the current director of the Communications Secretariat (Secom), Felipe Costabal, and Alejandro Irarrázaval, head of advisors for La Moneda’s Second Floor.

«The Rejection command contracted Fernando Cerimedo’s services to conduct a survey, so what we are asking the president is to clarify whether there are ties or not between La Moneda officials and this Argentine businessman, who is currently facing judicial proceedings for extremely serious crimes,» the legislator asserted.

In the same vein, Deputy Luis Cuello suggested that the evidence demonstrates «that there was interference in the Rejection campaign, that manipulation existed, and it is also obvious and public that there was a smearing campaign, a dirty campaign using bots during the last presidential campaign.»

«This has even been identified by citizens in recent polls, which clearly support the notion that the bot campaigns and these hidden dirty campaigns significantly influence elections. In other words, elections are contaminated. Therefore, there is a democratic challenge here that not only seeks to penalize and prevent through legislative projects we are urging for expeditious consideration, but also to disclose any potential links between La Moneda officials and Cerimedo’s environment,» he indicated.

Both lawmakers also called on Kast to expedite the project aimed at increasing transparency regarding digital platform expenditures.

«We have requested that he accelerate the legislative initiatives we have presented, including the project designated as «Cerimedo Law», which we have introduced to grant the Electoral Service (Servel) greater oversight powers concerning digital campaign activities,» Santana explained.

Featured image: Bio Bío Chile.