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UDI Lawmaker: Those Who Worked With Cerimedo Did Not Know He Would Become a “Monster” Image: ATON/@cerimedofernando
🇨🇱 Chile /Elections & Politics

UDI Lawmaker: Those Who Worked With Cerimedo Did Not Know He Would Become a “Monster”

From Cooperativa · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Chile’s lower house rejected an investigative commission on the use of bots and disinformation networks in political campaigns after insufficient attendance prevented the vote from reaching the required quorum.
  • UDI lawmaker Eduardo Cretton called the proposal politically biased and defended past contacts between coalition figures and Argentine strategist Fernando Cerimedo.
  • Supporters of the commission said they would resubmit the proposal, while President José Antonio Kast denied having any contractual relationship with Cerimedo.

A proposed Chilean congressional investigation into bots and political disinformation failed for lack of attendance, even though more lawmakers voted for it than against it. The initiative received 60 votes in favor, 41 against and two abstentions, but needed 62 votes to pass. Only 103 of the Chamber of Deputies’ 155 members attended.

We will not support it, because what the left is trying to establish here is that fake news or bots are the property of only one political sector. I think there is a political bias in that.

— Eduardo CrettonThe UDI lawmaker explained why his coalition opposed the proposed investigative commission.

Eduardo Cretton, a lawmaker from the Independent Democratic Union, or UDI, defended the governing coalition’s decision not to support the commission. He accused the opposition of political bias and rejected the idea that fake news and bots belonged to only one political side.

“We will not support it, because what the left is trying to establish here is that fake news or bots are the property of only one political sector. I think there is a political bias in that,” Cretton said. He also defended past contacts between members of his sector and Fernando Cerimedo, an Argentine communications strategist known as the “king of trolls and bots.” Cerimedo is detained in Bolivia on allegations of attempted femicide and illicit enrichment.

When Cerimedo came to Chile, the people who may have had dealings with him still did not know the monster he would become.

— Eduardo CrettonCretton defended past contacts between political figures and Fernando Cerimedo.

“When Cerimedo came to Chile, the people who may have had dealings with him still did not know the monster he would become,” Cretton said.

We are going to submit the creation of a commission again today, so that hopefully we can vote on it tomorrow. But our sector must not only agree with the idea, it must do the work, and that starts with arriving on time for votes.

— José MontalvaThe PPD lawmaker said supporters would immediately resubmit the failed proposal and criticized absenteeism.

José Montalva of the PPD, one of the proposal’s sponsors, said lawmakers would submit it again immediately. He criticized members of his own bloc for failing to attend the vote. The dispute came a day after President José Antonio Kast denied any contractual ties with Cerimedo, saying he had only encountered him casually at international events. “I have not worked with this man in any of my campaigns. The government does not work with him and does not have him as an adviser,” Kast told Cooperativa.

I have not worked with this man in any of my campaigns. The government does not work with him and does not have him as an adviser.

— José Antonio KastThe president denied a contractual relationship with Cerimedo.
About this summary

Originally published by Cooperativa in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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