Fernando Cerimedo detained in Bolivia for attempted femicide
Fernando Cerimedo, an Argentine political consultant and former adviser to Javier Milei, is the subject of a profile published by The Washington Post. Detained in Bolivia and accused of ordering an attack against his ex-partner Nadia Beller, Cerimedo faces severe legal scrutiny as international reports connect his digital strategies in Latin America to the U.S. political movement known as MAGA.
The Washington Post Investigation Into Cerimedo’s Arrest and Regional Influence
The profile, authored by journalist Terrence McCoy, details the rise of Cerimedo as a key strategist for the Latin American right. According to The Washington Post, Cerimedo’s arrest has triggered a political scandal that reverberates from Argentina to Washington, highlighting the influence of political networks tied to Donald Trump across the region. The newspaper reported reviewing hundreds of pages of court files, including text message exchanges between Cerimedo and Beller, alongside an interview with Beller herself.
The Bolivian prosecution detained Cerimedo on August 18 in Santa Cruz. Authorities subsequently sent him to Palmasola prison with 180 days of preventive detention. Imputed initially for attempted femicide, Cerimedo also faces a second investigation opened ex officio by the Bolivian Prosecutor’s Office for alleged illicit enrichment, alongside a third case concerning domestic violence regarding an incident in July involving Beller.
Connections to Javier Milei and the MAGA Movement
Before his activities in Bolivia, Cerimedo played a central role in the digital campaign of Argentine President Javier Milei. The Washington Post noted that Cerimedo coordinated a digital operation utilizing thousands of online accounts and helped connect Milei with American journalist Tucker Carlson for a September 2023 interview. LA NACION previously reported that Cerimedo served as an important piece of Milei’s presidential campaign, assisting temporarily with vote monitoring before being removed from that role.
The international reach of Cerimedo expanded through his consulting firm, Numen, positioning him as a bridge between Latin American politicians and U.S. conservative operators. Cerimedo worked alongside Miami-based consultant Damian Merlo during Milei’s campaign. His closest association within the U.S. political sphere involved Brad Parscale, who directed Trump’s 2016 digital campaign. Last year, Cerimedo’s media outlet, La Derecha Diario, announced it would represent two political technology platforms belonging to Parscale in Latin America. In February, Cerimedo received an award at Mar-a-Lago recognizing him as the top Hispanic political consultant of 2025.
Disputed Background Credentials and Prior Legal Record
The Washington Post investigation scrutinized the biographical details and academic claims presented by Cerimedo throughout his career. In interviews and on his LinkedIn profile, Cerimedo asserted that he studied at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), earned a doctorate in marketing from the University of Phoenix, trained with the United States Navy SEALs, and worked in the White House during Barack Obama’s administration.
When contacted by the newspaper, representatives for MIT and the University of Phoenix stated they possessed no records of Cerimedo as a student. Harvard and the U.S. Navy public affairs office did not respond to inquiries from The Washington Post. Public records further show that before entering high-level political consulting, Cerimedo worked as a taxi driver in Mar del Plata. In 2016, a court in Argentina convicted him of fraud and embezzlement after he sold the same apartment to two separate families, resulting in a suspended prison sentence of two years and six months.
Bolivian Expansion and Escalating Personal Conflict
Cerimedo’s transition into Bolivian politics aligned with the presidential campaign of Rodrigo Paz, who secured the presidency following two decades of leftist governance. Cerimedo gained influence within Paz’s inner circle, which created internal tension within the administration. Through political circles, Cerimedo met Nadia Beller, a Bolivian lawyer and political analyst.
According to The Washington Post, professional communications between Cerimedo and Beller evolved into a personal relationship. Beller stated to the publication that a dispute in June turned physical when Cerimedo grabbed her by the neck, while assuring her that his marriage was over. Tensions heightened during the summer when Beller discovered she was pregnant and informed Cerimedo’s wife, leading to a severe deterioration of the relationship prior to the armed attack that prompted his current imprisonment.