Bolivian police apprehended Argentine political consultant Fernando Cerimedo early Tuesday at Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. His detention occurred just hours after his former partner, Nadia Beller, a Bolivian lawyer, was shot three times outside a hotel in the city.

Cerimedo has not yet been formally charged and his connection to the shooting, which is under ongoing investigation, remains unverified. The departmental police chief for Santa Cruz, David Gómez, noted that investigators had tracked Cerimedo’s movements and dispatched officers to the airport, considering a previous dispute between the two as a critical line of inquiry.

On Monday night, security cameras captured the brazen attack. Two men, dressed as food delivery riders, disembarked from a motorcycle, shot Beller at the hotel entrance, and fled with her belongings. The 33-year-old lawyer underwent surgery and is recovering; apparently, none of the bullets struck vital organs.

From the hospital, Beller recounted that she had been lured to the location under the guise of a legal discussion and pretended to be dead to escape further assault. She accused Cerimedo of attempting to strangle her on two occasions since they began their relationship in late 2025 and stated that she is four weeks pregnant, calling for protection. Additionally, she claimed to possess knowledge of alleged corruption involving President Rodrigo Paz’s inner circle. To date, no charges have been filed concerning these allegations, and the government has refrained from commenting.

Marco Antonio Oviedo, Minister of Government, emphasized the need for a “serious and thorough investigation,” declaring that in Bolivia “nobody is above the law.” Meanwhile, Vice-President Edman Lara described the incident as an attack “against life, democracy, and freedom of expression.”

Cerimedo co-founded La Derecha Diario and played a significant role in the social media strategy for Javier Milei’s 2023 presidential campaign. He also has worked with Jair Bolsonaro and faced scrutiny from Brazilian courts for allegations regarding election fraud in 2022, from which he was acquitted. Despite his ties to Paz’s campaign, the Bolivian government insists he is not part of any state structure; however, the previous Minister of the Presidency, José Luis Lupo, indicated that his consultancy was funded with external resources.

Beller, who previously stood as a candidate for the Movement Towards Socialism in 2019, has been a vocal political analyst critical of that party in recent years.