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Original article: La sombra de Cerimedo llega a Perú: escándalo revela red de asesores extranjeros alrededor de Keiko

The influence of far-right political operator Fernando Cerimedo has reached Peru, where President Keiko Fujimori is embroiled in a scandal surrounding a network of foreign advisors connected to her administration.

At the center of the controversy is Argentine businessman Damián Valenzuela, whose influence as a self-proclaimed «wealth creator» comes with an extensive history of fraud allegations, both during the election campaign and in Fujimori’s administration. Another consultant, Carlos Díaz-Rosillo, has ties to Cerimedo, who is detained in Bolivia facing four charges, including attempted femicide against his ex-partner Nadia Beller; money laundering; domestic violence; and alleged cover-ups of flights linked to drug trafficking.

The right-wing leader, who took office a month ago, has tried to divert attention towards speculation about her private life, now facing uncomfortable questions regarding the suitability and true power of these figures in her administration.

This political crisis was ignited by a report from the magazine «Hildebrandt en sus Trece» titled «The President’s Close Friend,» which documents the secretive relationship between Keiko Fujimori and Damián Valenzuela, revealing that the 51-year-old Argentine lawyer has served as a highly influential shadow advisor during the election campaign, an influence that is believed to continue within her government.

The investigative report unveiled a meeting at a spa in Lima on July 11, just days before the presidential swearing-in, where the then-elect President and the Argentine businessman shared a private session that included facial treatments, massages, and champagne.

When confronted, Fujimori acknowledged Valenzuela as a friend and campaign advisor but has avoided addressing his troubling fraud history and his current role in her government, dismissing the matter as mere sentimental gossip.

«For years, they have fabricated relationships about me,» declared the far-right president.

The investigation by journalist Eloy Marchány and photographer César Zamalloa, who followed the case for three months, reveals a pattern of behavior designed to keep Valenzuela’s identity secret. Witnesses, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, stated that Fujimori and Valenzuela met at least four times at the same establishment. The routine was always the same: the president would arrive first and then send her driver to pick up the Argentine, eventually leaving separately.

Valenzuela attended the swearing-in ceremony at Congress as a special guest and the subsequent gala dinner, and he has traveled to Lima eleven times since October 2025.

What has raised the most alarms in Peru is that the magazine published documents revealing five fraud allegations against him in Florida, USA, where clients of his company Latin American Invest are claiming millions of dollars they invested with promises of high returns that never materialized. Three rulings have already ordered him to pay over 13 million dollars, and two other pending cases amount to nearly 5 million more.

Additionally, he lost a lawsuit in Argentina for 8.1 million pesos against his company Stonex, and the Central Bank revoked the operating permit for his firm Banfisol in Uruguay for providing false information to authorities. Rather than providing explanations, Valenzuela decided to sue the magazine’s director and the journalist for one million dollars for alleged defamation.

Connection Between Díaz-Rosillo and Cerimedo

However, according to Página/12, the situation complicates further with revelations that Fujimori’s circle of advisors is interconnected on a regional level. Carlos Díaz-Rosillo, the Cuban-American advisor who played a central role in her electoral campaign and defended Valenzuela, has been photographed alongside Argentine consultant Fernando Cerimedo.

The image, taken on March 23, 2025, and shared by Cerimedo on social media, illustrates a «working meeting» between the two.

Known as the «king of trolls» for his controversial influence in Latin American electoral processes, where he used fake accounts, bots, and false information, the Argentine consultant has built a career advising right-wing and far-right leaders throughout Latin America. His client portfolio includes Argentine President Javier Milei, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and the leaders of Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz, and Honduras, Nasry Asfura.

This specialist in «dirty campaigns» and misinformation is also the one who operated against the progressive candidate Roberto Sánchez, Fujimori’s rival. The connection between Díaz-Rosillo and Cerimedo, combined with the web of hidden advisory roles and fraud backgrounds, paints a concerning picture of the influences surrounding the Peruvian president.

These secretive relationships and connections with such dubious figures are not an anomaly in Keiko Fujimori’s career, which has a long history of dirty campaigns against rivals and clandestine dealings. The revelation of this network of foreign advisors, operating outside the bounds of transparency with questionable legal and ethical backgrounds, places the president in an extremely vulnerable position.

La entrada Cerimedo’s Shadow Falls on Peru: Scandal Unveils Network of Foreign Advisors Linked to Keiko se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.