The American diplomat posed as a Trump supporter, but was a pro-Castro revolutionary: During the Clinton and Bush administrations, he passed information to the secret services in Havana
Manuel Rocha said he was a Trump supporter and, in fact, those who knew him considered him right-wing. Instead, he was a pro-Castro revolutionary, a committed one. Above all, he was a spy for Cuba. For forty years, the now retired American diplomat passed on information to the secret services in Havana.
It was only through a tip and his excessive trust that they found out about it. Born 73 years ago in Colombia, Manuel became a U.S. citizen, attended top universities and then joined the State Department. In 1981 he was assigned to the Honduras department, a role that opened a long path for him. It is the first step in his action as an intruder, as he himself later revealed. The Cubans support him, help him, teach him tricks and ways not to arouse suspicion, “to live a normal life day after day.” They are masters and he is a good student. His career progresses smoothly, with assignments in the Dominican Republic, Italy, Cuba itself and in the offices in Latin America. He served during the Clinton and Bush administrations, held assignments on the Security Council where he handled classified matters, was ambassador to Bolivia in 2002, and became a military adviser to the Southern Command from 2006 to 2012.
Of course, Cuba is the focus. to have honey. As a colleague said: “He had the keys to the kingdom.” Everything happens before his eyes, he is in things, he has access to sensitive data, which he systematically passes on to his contacts. Those who meet him never doubt his loyalty. The only “abnormal” remark is a statement he made on the occasion of the Bolivian elections, in which one of the candidates was Evo Morales. Rocha portrays him as a threat and says that if he wins, the country will export even more cocaine. For some, the trip outside of certain rules seems excessive. Rereading it today, the aim is clear: to reinforce the image of an official determined to counteract anyone who is too close to Havana. However, Rocha had other ideals in his heart.
For him, the US was the real enemy, in fact he boasted of having caused enormous damage, “a grand slam” in the face of Washington. Having retreated into private life, he has not stopped maintaining his cover, but has lost some of the “tension” necessary to always be on guard. The FBI received a tip about the former diplomat in 2022, opened an investigation and used the sting system. One of his agents posed as a Cuban emissary, caught Rocha and he fell into the trap. In the conversations he let himself go, he talked a lot, he expressed his full sympathy to his “comrades”. And he betrayed himself by providing the evidence that led to the indictment.
The Rocha case is a confirmation of the great effectiveness of the Cuban secret service DGI, the patient tactics in long-term operations and the selection of elements that can evade any radar. Not the only example. Last winter, Ana Montes, a member of the Pentagon’s intelligence team, was released from an American prison and is known as the Queen of Cuba because she spied on America for 17 years on behalf of Havana.
Corriere della Sera is also on WhatsApp. Just click here to subscribe to the channel and stay up to date.
December 5, 2023 (modified December 5, 2023 | 11:49)
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED