He is a former US ambassador to Bolivia, and also a member of the National Security Council in the US. Now the prosecution believes that retired Victor Manuel Rocha (73) has been spying for Cuba for more than 40 years. Prosecutors also say that he met with Cuban intelligence officials as recently as 2017, The New York Times reports. Rocha is also charged with traveling with a false passport. Photo: Department of Justice / AP For over two decades, Rocha has had much of the responsibility for American diplomatic activities in relation to Latin America. He himself is Colombian and grew up in New York. – Those who have the privilege of doing services for the American government receive an enormous amount of trust from the public, Attorney General Merrick Garland told NBC Monday. Garland believes Rocha “obtained a job with the American government in order to gain access to information that was not public and to be able to influence American foreign policy”. – Breaking that trust by claiming to be falsely loyal to the United States while they hold another power abroad is a criminal act that the Ministry of Justice will meet with full force. State Attorney Garland calls Rocha’s actions a breach of trust. Photo: DREW ANGERER / AFP Long diplomatic career Much of Rocha’s diplomatic career was spent in Latin America during the Cold War, writes The Guardian. The ambassador’s job in Bolivia was from 2000 to 2002. He was also an adviser to the US military leadership from 2006 and 2012. The governing authorities claim that since the 1980s he has provided the US with information to protect his privacy. This photo from the US government is supposed to show Rocha during one of the meetings with an undercover agent who pretended to be working for Cuba. Photo: Department of Justice / AP The federal law in the USA requires people who represent a foreign government or entity to register with the US Department of Justice. Rocha is to blame for working to promote the interests of the Cuban authorities, which otherwise would not have been illegal. Now this is one of several federal offenses mentioned in the indictment. – The keys to the kingdom One of his colleagues at the time, former Panamanian ambassador John D. Feeley, told the New York Times: – Manuel literally had the keys to the kingdom. – If it had anything to do with Cuba, he had access to see it. This photo was taken by Fidel Castro in 1981, which is the first year that the US believes it can prove that Rocha carried out espionage work. Photo: Charles Tasnadi / AP According to a statement from American authorities, the double game was revealed by an undercover agent from the FBI, who pretended to work for Cuban intelligence. Rocha is said to have referred to the United States as “the enemy” several times, using the term “we” to describe himself and Cuba. He is said to have also boasted of the work he had done, and said that it “strengthened the revolution to a great extent”. The governing authorities in the USA have also announced that there will be further charges against Rocha later this week. His defense lawyer Jacqueline Arango has declined to comment on the case to NBC.
ttn-69
Former US ambassador indicted for espionage for Cuba – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
