The AP news agency reported that agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested the former US ambassador to Bolivia. The authorities accuse the former diplomat of working for Cuba.
Authorities arrested former MP Manuel Rocha on Friday, with further details on the case to be released on Monday. A person familiar with the matter said authorities suspect Rocha was promoting the interests of the Cuban government, the AP reported.
Authorities accuse Rocha of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Law. In the United States, the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 requires people who lobby on behalf of foreign countries to register with the U.S. federal government.
The U.S. Department of Justice did not respond to AP’s requests for comment.
Rocha’s diplomatic career spanned 25 years, most of which was spent in South America. He began his career already during the Cold War.
Rocha was born in Colombia and raised in New York. He studied at Yale and Harvard and in 1981 went to work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1997-2000 he was US ambassador to Argentina, subsequently holding the same position in Bolivia. He also served as an expert on South America at the US National Security Council.
After leaving the State Department, Rocha joined the private sector and became president of a gold mine in the Dominican Republic. This company is owned by the Canadian company Barrick Gold.
2023-12-04 10:16:00
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