The case of Argentine activist Nadia Beller continues to deepen in Bolivia. After being shot multiple times on August 17 in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Beller – still recovering at the Las Américas Clinic – reported that a man attempted to enter her hospital room under a false pretext. The incident occurred on Monday, August 24, according to the date referenced in her original statement.
A suspicious visitor
Beller explained on her social media that the man, dressed in civilian clothes, claimed to be a police officer and tried to enter her room. When her companions questioned why he wasn't in uniform, the man said he would go to change and never returned. The incident was immediately reported to the Bolivian police.
The suspect's clothing: a yellow jacket, torn jeans, and white sneakers – matched images of a person spotted near the hotel the day of the shooting. Beller even published a side-by-side comparison on her Facebook account, suggesting that they were the same person.
Key facts at a glance
- Attack date: August 17, Santa Cruz
- Beller's injuries: Three gunshots
- Detained: Fernando Cerimedo (suspected mastermind)
- Preventive detention: 180 days
- New suspect: Róger A.C. (alleged arms supplier)
A 'State Crime' and growing demands
Beller did not take long to denounce the episode as a "state crime" and pointed directly at the Bolivian Police Command and the Ministry of Government. She demands that the man be identified and that she is given robust protection while she is still hospitalized.
The story of the attack itself: Beller arrived at the Swissôtel in Santa Cruz on August 17 expecting a meeting with a source who would allegedly leak information about former President Evo Morales. Instead, two hitmen on a motorcycle shot her and stole her cellphone. The Bolivian justice system soon arrested her former partner, Argentine political consultant Fernando Cerimedo, and charged him as the intellectual author of the attack. On Friday, August 21, he was sent to preventive detention in Palmasola prison. Cerimedo has repeatedly denied the accusations.
Another suspect, Róger A.C., was captured for allegedly supplying the gun used in the attack. A Colombian national believed to be the possible trigger puller turned himself in, but denies any participation. The two motorized assailants remain at large.
Corruption audio ties to Argentina
Adding to the storm, Beller also raised a separate accusation: she states that the leaked audio tapes involving Diego Spagnolo, former director of the National Disability Agency (Andis) in Argentina, were disseminated by Cerimedo and his wife Natalia Basil, a former official of that same agency. These audio recordings reportedly implicate senior officials within the Argentine government and have shaken the administration of President Javier Milei.
While Beller lies recovering in a hospital bed, her legal team argues that this new invasion attempt is not a coincidence but a direct attempt to silence her. The case has become a symbol of violence against journalists, lawyers, and activists in Bolivia and beyond.