Ex-US Ambassador Arrested, Accused of Serving Communist Nation: Report
Former US Ambassador Arrested, Accused of Working for Communist Nation: Report
A former American diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia has been arrested in a long-running FBI counterintelligence investigation, accused of secretly serving as an agent of Cuba’s government, The Associated Press has learned.
Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested in Miami on Friday on a criminal complaint and more details about the case are expected to be made public at a court appearance Monday, said two people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing federal investigation.
One of the people said the Justice Department case accuses Rocha of working to promote the Cuban government’s interests.
Federal law requires people doing the political bidding of a foreign government or entity inside the U.S. to register with the Justice Department, which in recent years has stepped up its criminal enforcement of illicit foreign lobbying.
The Justice Department declined to comment.
It was not immediately clear if Rocha had a lawyer and a law firm where he previously worked said it was not representing him.
Rocha’s 25-year diplomatic career was spent under both Democratic and Republican administrations, much of it in Latin America during the Cold War, a period of sometimes heavy-handed U.S. political and military policies.
His diplomatic postings included a stint at the U.S. Interests Section in Cuba during a time when the U.S. lacked full diplomatic relations with Fidel Castro’s communist government.
Born in Colombia, Rocha was raised in a working-class home in New York City and went on to obtain a succession of liberal arts degrees from Yale, Harvard and Georgetown before joining the foreign service in 1981.
He was the top U.S. diplomat in Argentina between 1997 and 2000 as a decade-long currency stabilization program backed by Washington was unraveling under the weight of huge foreign debt and stagnant growth, triggering a political crisis that would see the South American country cycle through five presidents in two weeks.
At his next post as ambassador to Bolivia, he intervened directly into the 2002 presidential race, warning weeks ahead of the vote that the U.S. would cut off assistance to the poor South American country if it were to elect former coca grower Evo Morales.
“I want to remind the Bolivian electorate that if they vote for those who want Bolivia to return to exporting cocaine, that will seriously jeopardize any future aid to Bolivia from the United States,″ Rocha said in a speech that was widely interpreted as an attempt to sustain U.S. dominance in the region.
The gambit worked but three years later Bolivians elected Morales anyway and the leftist leader would expel Rocha’s successor as chief of the diplomatic mission for inciting “civil war.”
Rocha also served in Italy, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and worked as a Latin America expert for the National Security Council.
Rocha’s wife, Karla Wittkop Rocha, would not comment when contacted by the AP. “I don’t need to talk to you,” she said before hanging up.
Following his retirement from the State Department, Rocha began a second career in business, serving as the president of a gold mine in the Dominican Republic partly owned by Canada’s Barrick Gold.
More recently, he’s held senior roles at XCoal, a Pennsylvania-based coal exporter; Clover Leaf Capital, a company formed to facilitate mergers in the cannabis industry; law firm Foley & Lardner and Spanish public relations firms Llorente & Cuenca.
“Our firm remains committed to transparency and will closely monitor the situation, cooperating fully with the authorities if any information becomes available to us,” Dario Alvarez, CEO of Llorente & Cuenca’s U.S. operations, said in an email.
XCoal and Clover Leaf Capital did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Foley & Lardner said Rocha left the law firm in August.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
The post Former US Ambassador Arrested, Accused of Working for Communist Nation: Report appeared first on The Western Journal.
What measures has the U.S. Justice Department taken to crack down on illicit foreign lobbying?
, Rocha resigned from his post after a tumultuous period of anti-government protests in Bolivia. It was unclear at the time whether his resignation was related to the unrest or not.
Since leaving the foreign service, Rocha has worked in the private sector, including as a consultant on international affairs. He has also been involved in advocacy work, particularly on Latin American issues.
The arrest of a former U.S. ambassador on charges of secretly serving as an agent of a foreign government is a rare occurrence. It raises important questions about the extent of foreign influence in American politics and the actions of individuals who hold significant positions of power.
It is crucial to investigate and bring to light any instance where individuals may be working on behalf of foreign governments without proper disclosure. The U.S. Justice Department has been cracking down on illicit foreign lobbying in recent years, and this case appears to be another example of their efforts to enforce the law.
The charges against Rocha, if proven true, are deeply concerning. The role of an ambassador is to represent the interests of their own country and to promote diplomacy and cooperation between nations. Serving as an agent of a foreign government undermines the principles of trust and transparency that are vital to effective diplomacy.
The fact that Rocha’s diplomatic career spanned both Democratic and Republican administrations is also noteworthy. It demonstrates the importance of keeping a vigilant eye on individuals in positions of power, regardless of political affiliation.
Foreign influence in U.S. politics is not a new issue. It has been a topic of concern for many years, with allegations of interference and manipulation by foreign governments. Efforts to combat this type of influence are crucial to protecting the integrity of American democracy.
As more details about the case emerge, it will be interesting to see the evidence against Rocha and how the legal process unfolds. If found guilty, he could face severe penalties for his actions.
This arrest serves as a reminder that even those in esteemed positions can become susceptible to foreign influence. It underscores the need for continued oversight and vigilance to ensure that individuals tasked with representing the United States do so faithfully and without conflicts of interest.
The arrest of a former U.S. ambassador accused of working for a communist nation is a serious matter. It is a stark reminder of the potential dangers of foreign interference in American politics and the importance of upholding the principles of national sovereignty and diplomatic integrity.
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