Bolivian Authorities Arrest Suspect in Attack on Nadia Beller as Fernando Cerimedo Faces Court

Bolivian police have arrested a new suspect linked to the armed attack against Nadia Beller, the former partner of political consultant Fernando Cerimedo. Fiscal Yolanda Aguilera confirmed the arrest, stating the individual was detained to provide information regarding the identity and location of the material authors of the crime. Some Bolivian media reports indicate that police recovered motorcycle helmets used by the attackers during the arrest. Beller was shot three times by two men disguised as delivery drivers outside a hotel in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

Fernando Cerimedo, a former advisor to Javier Milei, is currently in custody and faces a judicial hearing to determine if he will be held in preventive detention for 180 days at the Chonchocoro maximum security prison. He has been formally charged with attempted feminicide, with prosecutors alleging he acted as the intellectual author of the attack. His defense attorney, Margarita Arce, has requested his unrestricted release and claims that Beller staged the attack due to a desire for power within the Bolivian government.

In a separate investigation into alleged illicit enrichment, authorities conducted raids on properties linked to Cerimedo. According to the La Paz departmental prosecutor, Luis Carlos Tórrez, officials discovered over 500,000 dollars in various currencies and a bot farm used to manage fake social media accounts. Other seized items include an official vehicle and identification cards labeling Cerimedo as a principal advisor to the Presidency of Bolivia. Additionally, a lawyer for Beller reported the discovery of chat messages on Cerimedo's phone that allegedly discuss eliminating someone, though the prosecution has not yet formally confirmed the authenticity of these messages.