Bolivian Advisor Fernando Cerimedo Arrested for Attempted Murder of Ex-Girlfriend

On August 17, 2026, Nadia Shirley Beller Delgado, a 33-year-old Bolivian lawyer and activist, was shot three times at point-blank range by two men disguised as delivery drivers outside a hotel in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Beller, who is four weeks pregnant, survived by pretending to be dead and underwent major surgery. She accused her Argentine ex-boyfriend, Fernando Cerimedo, of ordering the hit to silence her. Cerimedo, co-owner of La Derecha Diario and a senior advisor to Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, was arrested the next day at Viru Viru Airport while attempting to flee to Buenos Aires. He faces charges of attempted femicide, money laundering, and illicit enrichment, and is held at Palmasola prison. The incident has exposed the inner workings of the US 'Donroe Doctrine' in Latin America, with Cerimedo described as 'MAGA's man in LatAm' by The Economist. Beller had previously accused Cerimedo of domestic violence and corruption, and alleged he bragged of being a CIA agent. Cerimedo's arrest has sparked political turmoil in Bolivia, with former President Evo Morales calling him 'an agent of the empire.' The case highlights the role of bot farms and disinformation in regional elections, as well as Cerimedo's connections to Trump's inner circle, including Brad Parscale and Marco Rubio.