Bolivian police thwart delivery of mobile phone to Cerimedo in Chonchocoro prison
Bolivia's police force confiscated a mobile telephone that was to be delivered to Argentine adviser Fernando Cerimedo in La Paz's maximum-security prison.
Preventive search intercepts mobile phone intended for Argentine political consultant
Bolivia's police force confiscated a mobile telephone on Wednesday that was being smuggled into the maximum-security prison of Chonchocoro in La Paz, where Argentine political consultant Fernando Cerimedo is serving preventive detention, according to cnnchile.com.
The suspect in the attempted smuggling is an inmate who works selling food inside the prison. Édgar Espinoza, director of Chonchocoro, explained to the media that the device was found during a routine daily search of the area around Cerimedo and in the cell occupied by the Argentine.
"A mobile device has been seized and the necessary mechanisms have been established for disciplinary proceedings" against the inmate involved, Espinoza stated.
The director further explained that the inmate brought food into Cerimedo, which prompted the preventive search. "In order to prevent that from happening or to stop it being facilitated, this preventive search was able to be carried out," the official added.
Cerimedo has been detained in Bolivia since August, following an armed attack perpetrated by unknown individuals against his ex-partner, political consultant Nadia Beller. For this incident, the Argentine faces charges of attempted femicide as the alleged intellectual author, in addition to proceedings for alleged family and domestic violence against Beller and for alleged illicit enrichment.
The consultant initially served his preventive detention in Palmasola prison in the eastern region of Santa Cruz, but in September the courts ordered his transfer to Chonchocoro as part of the illicit enrichment case.
Local media reported on Wednesday that a court ordered Cerimedo's return to Palmasola in response to an appeal filed by his defence. However, the national director of Penitentiary Security, Aldrin Cordero, indicated that he has not yet received any notification on the matter and that when it arrives, "it will be determined whether or not it corresponds".
The case maintains scrutiny over Cerimedo's relationship with Bolivian president Rodrigo Paz, given the supposed influence the Argentine allegedly exercised over the government, according to his detractors.
Cerimedo was part of the communications strategy of Argentine president Javier Milei during the 2023 presidential campaign. He was also linked to an investigation in Brazil regarding the attempted coup d'état in January 2023 and founded the news portal La Derecha Diario in 2021.
Source: Google News BO — Crime