- Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested in Miami on Friday for allegedly serving as a Cuban agent
- Further details about the allegations are expected to be revealed in court on Monday
- The former ambassador to Bolivia spent much of his career in Latin America
The former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia was arrested on suspicion of being a Cuban spy as part of a long-running FBI counterintelligence investigation.
According to the Associated Press, 73-year-old Manuel Rocha was arrested in Miami on Friday. Further details of the allegations against him will be revealed when he appears in court on Monday.
Insiders said the Justice Department accused Rocha of promoting the interests of the Cuban government.
During his 25-year diplomatic career, he served under both Democratic and Republican administrations.
He spent much of his career in Latin America during the Cold War, including a stint with the U.S. Interests Section in Cuba.
Former US ambassador to Bolivia Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested on suspicion of being a Cuban spy
He spent much of his 25-year career in Latin America during the Cold War, including a stint with the U.S. Interests Section in Cuba
Rocha’s wife, Karla Wittkop Rocha, declined to comment when contacted by the AP. “I don’t need to talk to you,” she said before hanging up.
He was the top U.S. diplomat in Argentina between 1997 and 2000, when a decades-long Washington-backed currency stabilization program faltered under the weight of huge foreign debt and stagnant growth.
As ambassador to Bolivia, he intervened directly in the 2002 presidential election, warning weeks before the vote that the United States would stop aid to the poor South American country if it elected former coca grower Evo Morales.
He also served in Italy, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic and worked as a Latin America expert for the National Security Council.
Born in Colombia, Rocha grew up in a working-class home in New York City and earned a series of liberal arts degrees from Yale, Harvard and Georgetown before joining the Foreign Service in 1981.
After leaving the State Department, Rocha began a second career in business.
As ambassador to Bolivia, Rocha (right) intervened directly in the 2002 presidential election campaign
Rocha’s wife, Karla Wittkop Rocha (left), declined to comment when contacted by the AP. “I don’t need to talk to you,” she said before hanging up
He has held senior positions at XCoal, a coal exporter based in Pennsylvania; Clover Leaf Capital, a company founded to facilitate mergers in the cannabis industry; Law firm Foley & Lardner and Spanish PR firms Llorente & Cuenca.
“Our firm remains committed to transparency and will closely monitor the situation and cooperate fully with authorities as information becomes available to us,” Dario Alvarez, CEO of Llorente & Cuenca’s U.S. operations, said in an email.
In recent years, the Justice Department has stepped up prosecutions of illegal foreign lobbying.
Federal law requires anyone acting on the political behalf of a foreign government or entity within the United States To with the Department of Justice.
Story is developing, check back for updates…