- Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested in Miami on Friday for allegedly serving as an agent of Cuba
- More details about the allegations are expected to be released on Monday
- The former ambassador to Bolivia spent much of his career in Latin America
The former United States ambassador to Bolivia has been arrested on suspicion of Cuban espionage.
Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested Friday in Miami, according to the Associated Press. More details about the allegations against him will be set out when he appears in court on Monday.
Insiders said the Justice Department has accused Rocha of promoting the interests of the Cuban government.
He served under both Democratic and Republican administrations during his 25-year diplomatic career.
He spent much of his career in Latin America during the Cold War, including a stint with the US Interests Section in Cuba.
Former United States 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 US Interests Section in Cuba
As ambassador to Bolivia, Rocha (right) intervened directly in the 2002 presidential race
Rocha's wife, Karla Wittkop Rocha, declined to comment when contacted by AP. “I don't need to talk to you,” she said before hanging up.
He was the top US diplomat in Argentina between 1997 and 2000, when a decade-long currency stabilization program backed by Washington unraveled under the weight of massive foreign debt and stagnant growth.
As ambassador to Bolivia, he intervened directly in the 2002 presidential race, warning weeks before the election that the US would cut 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 went on to earn a series of liberal arts degrees from Yale, Harvard and Georgetown before joining the Foreign Service in 1981.
After retiring from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rocha started a second career in business.
He has held leadership positions 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 PR firms Llorente & Cuenca.
“Our company remains committed to transparency and will continue to 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 mail.
In recent years, the Justice Department has increased criminal enforcement of illegal foreign lobbying activities.
Federal law requires people who follow the political orders of a foreign government or entity in the US to register with the Department of Justice.
Story is developed. Check back for updates…