Bot farm seized in Bolivia during political consultant's arrest
A bot farm operated by Argentine political consultant Fernando Cerimedo was seized by Bolivian authorities during his arrest on August 18, 2026, on suspicion of attempted femicide. The automated network reportedly amplified or damaged political campaigns on social media. Cerimedo has been linked to disputed polling and potentially misleading content in elections across Latin America.
What happened
Argentine political consultant Fernando Cerimedo was arrested in La Paz, Bolivia on August 18, 2026, on suspicion of attempted femicide against his ex-partner, a Bolivian lawyer. During searches, Bolivian fiscal authorities seized equipment constituting a bot farm from Cerimedo's possession.
The bot farm allegedly operated automated accounts on X and Instagram to amplify or damage campaigns supporting or opposing specific causes and people. According to experts cited in the sources, such operations use coordinated networks of fake profiles distributed across multiple IP addresses and devices to manipulate social media algorithms.
Reported impact
Cerimedo has been identified as a specialist in 'dirty campaign' practices during elections in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and Honduras. In Chile, his firm Numen was associated with a disputed 2020 poll that projected a victory for the Rechazo campaign but deviated more than 30 points from actual results, and with potentially false content during constitutional proceedings.
Index analysis
Bot farms themselves are not inherently harmful—bots perform many legitimate automated functions in digital communication, such as automated service responses. However, experts argue that integrating automated accounts into strategies to distort information and communication represents a misuse of the technology.
According to advertising agency director Juan Marenco, more than 50 percent of internet traffic consists of bots and AI, making it difficult to distinguish real engagement from automated activity in digital advertising.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.