Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori's personal advisor and friend Carlos Diaz-Rosillo has direct links to Fernando Gabriel Cerimedo, an Argentine digital strategist currently imprisoned in Bolivia.
Cerimedo was arrested in La Paz over an alleged plot to hire a hitman to murder his pregnant partner, Nadia Beller. At the time of his arrest, Cerimedo was serving as a shadow advisor to Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, having supported his campaign with digital disinformation operations against left-wing rivals.
Diaz-Rosillo, a Cuban-American academic, serves as the founder and director of the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom at Florida International University in Miami. He has played a prominent role in Fujimori's political campaign, first inviting her as a guest speaker and later appointing her as an instructor at the center.
Academic Salary and Social Media Posts
In the third week of April 2026, during the presidential campaign, Fujimori disclosed earning 45,000 US dollars for teaching classes at the Adam Smith Center. Following public questioning from critics, Diaz-Rosillo confirmed that Fujimori had completed exactly one year of academic work at the institution, conducting classes, mentoring students, and undertaking research to earn the reported salary.
Beyond her academic post, Diaz-Rosillo has publicly described himself as Fujimori's personal friend and advisor. On March 22, 2023, Cerimedo posted a photograph alongside Diaz-Rosillo on social media, writing that he had shared a work breakfast with the advisor.
In that social media post, Cerimedo identified Diaz-Rosillo as the principal advisor on international security affairs to the Secretary of Defense during the administration of former United States President Donald Trump, noting that significant developments were planned for coming years.
Bot Farms and Regional Disinformation
Cerimedo is known across Latin America for organizing online smear campaigns against political rivals on behalf of conservative candidates. His client roster has included Argentine President Javier Milei, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian politician Flavio Bolsonaro, and Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz.
Bolivian law enforcement officials reported upon his arrest that Cerimedo operated a digital bot farm. The network used fictitious social media accounts to generate and circulate thousands of fake news items designed to manipulate public opinion and discredit targeted politicians.
Similar automated disinformation tactics surfaced during Peru's recent presidential election, particularly targeting left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez. Cerimedo previously commented on Peruvian electoral politics on June 7, 2021, when he publicly highlighted that official tally sheets from overseas voters favored Fujimori.
In an interview with the Buenos Aires newspaper Clarin, Cerimedo's partner Nadia Beller stated that his primary bot farm was based in Buenos Aires, while additional digital operations were directed across Latin America.
Paraguayan Inquiries and Non-Response
Scrutiny surrounding Cerimedo has extended into neighboring countries, including Paraguay. Opposition lawmakers in Asuncion have called for an investigation into Argentine consultant Andres 'Andy' Rivas, who acts as a shadow advisor to Paraguayan President Santiago Pena.
Rivas maintains ties to Cerimedo while serving as the representative in Uruguay for the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom under Diaz-Rosillo's leadership.
Neither Fujimori nor Diaz-Rosillo has publicly addressed Cerimedo's arrest or his ties to the Miami-based center. Newspaper La Republica submitted written questionnaires to Diaz-Rosillo seeking clarification on his connection to Cerimedo, but received no response.
Denials from Alternative Campaign Advisors
Diaz-Rosillo previously defended another Argentine consultant, Damian Valenzuela Mayer, after the magazine Hildebrandt en sus Trece revealed secret meetings between Valenzuela and Fujimori. While Diaz-Rosillo publicly acknowledged Valenzuela as a friend, he omitted any mention of his relationship with Cerimedo.
Through his legal representative David Torres Barreto, Valenzuela denied holding any personal, professional, or commercial connection to Cerimedo. Torres Barreto added that Valenzuela maintains no ownership or financial interest in Cerimedo's companies.
Sources familiar with Fujimori's foreign consulting team described Valenzuela and Cerimedo as commercial competitors in political strategy. Valenzuela confirmed that in 2011 he collaborated with Peruvian attorney Alonso Rey Bustamante to register the firm Latin America Invest in Lima.
Rey Bustamante subsequently joined Fujimori's campaign technical committee. Torres Barreto stated that Valenzuela's contact with Rey Bustamante was strictly limited to legal services provided during 2011, and that the company severed ties after hiring new legal and accounting firms due to operational needs.
The revelations come as Fujimori's administration maintains a 60-day state of emergency across Lima and Callao. Meanwhile, congressional records confirmed that Maria Luisa Carrillo, wife of politician Luis Galarreta, remains employed within Peru's Congress.
