Bot farm uncovered in Bolivia following arrest of consultant Fernando Cerimedo

The arrest of Argentine political consultant Fernando Cerimedo in Bolivia has exposed the operation of a bot farm used to manipulate social media trends. Cerimedo, who has advised leaders such as Javier Milei and Jair Bolsonaro, was detained on August 18 following allegations involving an attempted femicide against his former partner, Nadia Beller.

Authorities seized equipment from a bot farm that allegedly used automated profiles on X and Instagram to promote specific political causes or discredit opponents. Experts describe these farms as groups of computers simulating human users to perform actions like commenting, generating content, or inflating view counts. While automated bots are used legitimately for customer service, they are increasingly integrated into disinformation strategies to distort public communication.

Cerimedo has been linked to ‘dirty campaign’ practices across several Latin American nations, including Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and Honduras. The discovery highlights the growing role of technological manipulation in regional political landscapes.