Bolivian Prosecutor Charges Fernando Cerimedo with Attempted Femicide

The Departmental Prosecutor's Office of Santa Cruz has formally charged political consultant Fernando Gabriel Cerimedo with attempted femicide following a shooting on August 17 in front of the Hotel Swissôtel in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Prosecutors allege that Cerimedo acted as the intellectual author of the attack against his partner, Nadia Shirley Beller Delgadillo. According to the prosecution, Cerimedo persuaded Beller to meet at the hotel under the guise of receiving intelligence information and promising armed protection. Upon leaving the hotel, Beller was intercepted by two men on a motorcycle who shot her multiple times and stole her phone and wallet. The prosecution has requested preventive detention for Cerimedo for up to 180 days, citing a risk of flight and potential obstruction of the investigation. Cerimedo, an Argentine citizen, reportedly remained silent during his police statement. Medical reports from the Clínica de las Américas confirm that Beller suffered multiple gunshot wounds to her neck, right arm, and right breast, including a comminuted fracture of the right humerus that required emergency surgery. The clinic also confirmed that Beller is pregnant, with sources estimating the term between four and five weeks. While the prosecution emphasizes the pregnancy as an aggravating factor under the Bolivian Penal Code, the defense has denied that Cerimedo is the father. Both reports originate from center right outlets, though they focus on different aspects of the case. One report emphasizes the medical evidence and the contradiction of the defense's claims that the victim staged the attack, while the other focuses on the legal proceedings and the specific charges brought by the state.