Good day, Today a news has come stating that Ex-US ambassador Manuel Rocha apprehended on allegations of covertly acting as a Cuban agent. Stay with this article to find out more about this news.
Former US ambassador Manuel Rocha, who previously held the role in Bolivia, was arrested in Miami, Florida on December 1, 2023. The arrest stems from accusations of clandestinely acting as an agent for the Cuban government, as part of an extensive federal espionage inquiry, according to two anonymous sources cited by the AP. Further information regarding the allegations will be provided during his court appearance on Monday. According to one source, the Justice Department’s case against Rocha involves accusations of actively advancing the interests of the Cuban government. Federal law stipulates that individuals acting for a foreign government or entity in the United States must register with the Justice Department, and the prosecution of unlawful foreign lobbying has been on the rise in recent years.
The Justice Department has not provided a statement on Rocha’s arrest. It remains uncertain whether the diplomat has legal representation, as the law firm he previously worked for stated it is not representing him. Rocha’s wife, Karla Wittkop Rocha, refused to comment when contacted by the AP, stating, “I don’t need to talk to you,” and then ending the call. Prior to his surprising arrest, Rocha had a 25-year diplomatic career, serving under administrations from both Democratic and Republican parties. In his extensive diplomatic career, primarily focused on Latin America during the Cold War, Rocha held positions such as working at the US Interests Section in Cuba, according to the Daily Mail.
Who Is Manuel Rocha
From 1997 to 2000, he served as the chief US diplomat in Argentina, navigating challenges posed by Washington-backed currency stabilization efforts unraveled by significant foreign debt and sluggish economic development. During his tenure as Bolivia’s ambassador, Rocha personally intervened in the 2002 presidential contest by preemptively declaring that the US would cease aid to the South American country if it elected former coca grower Evo Morales. In a widely interpreted move to maintain US influence in the region, Rocha emphasized to the Bolivian electorate that choosing candidates advocating a return to cocaine exportation would significantly endanger potential future aid from the United States.
Furthermore, he served as a Latin America expert for the National Security Council, with postings in Italy, Honduras, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. Born in Colombia and raised in a working-class family in New York City, Rocha pursued liberal arts degrees at Yale, Harvard, and Georgetown before joining the foreign service in 1981. Following his tenure at the State Department, Rocha embarked on a second career in business, holding key positions at various companies, including Spanish public relations firms Llorente & Cuenca, law firm Foley & Lardner, Clover Leaf Capital—a corporation facilitating mergers in the cannabis sector—and XCoal, a coal exporter based in Pennsylvania.
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