{"id":2115122,"date":"2023-12-04T10:45:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T15:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-us-ambassador-arrested-accused-of-working-for-communist-nation-report\/"},"modified":"2023-12-04T10:46:51","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T15:46:51","slug":"former-us-ambassador-arrested-accused-of-working-for-communist-nation-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-us-ambassador-arrested-accused-of-working-for-communist-nation-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-US Ambassador Arrested, Accused of Serving Communist Nation: Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fformer-us-ambassador-arrested-accused-of-working-for-communist-nation-report%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2115122&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Former US Ambassador Arrested, Accused of Working for Communist Nation: Report<\/h2>\n<p>A former American diplomat\u2063 who served as\u2062 U.S. ambassador to Bolivia \u200bhas been arrested in a long-running FBI counterintelligence investigation, accused of secretly serving \u2064as an agent\u2062 of\u2062 Cuba\u2019s government, The Associated Press has learned.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested in Miami on Friday on a criminal complaint\u200b and more\u2063 details\u2062 about the case are expected to \u200bbe made public at a court appearance Monday, said two people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-hunter-biden-still-unwinding-ties-with-chinese-firm\/\" title=\"White House: Hunter Biden still \u2018unwinding\u2019 ties with Chinese firm\">ongoing federal investigation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>One of the people said\u2062 the \u2062Justice Department case accuses \u200cRocha of working\u2064 to\u2063 promote\u200d the Cuban government\u2019s interests.<\/p>\n<p>Federal law \u200brequires people \u2062doing the political bidding of a foreign government\u200c or entity inside the U.S. to register \u200cwith the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/biden-doj-collects-list-every-person-followed-retweeted-mentioned-donald-trump-twitter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Justice Department<\/a>, which in recent years has stepped up its \u2064criminal enforcement of illicit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/real-russian-collusion-founder-anti-trump-lincoln-project-accepted-russian-lobbying-gig\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">foreign \u200dlobbying<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Justice Department declined \u2064to comment.<\/p>\n<p>It was not immediately clear if\u2064 Rocha had a\u2062 lawyer and a law firm where he previously worked said it was\u200b not representing him.<\/p>\n<p>Rocha\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/1997-2001.state.gov\/about_state\/biography\/rocha_manuel.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">25-year diplomatic career<\/a> was spent under both Democratic and Republican administrations, much of it\u2062 in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/history-repeating-major-american-enemy-puts-bases-cuba-17-latin-american-countries\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Latin America<\/a> during the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/us-china-slip-new-cold-war-looks-like-2nd-space-race-beginning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cold War<\/a>, \u200ba period of sometimes heavy-handed U.S. political \u200band military \u2063policies.<\/p>\n<p>His\u200c diplomatic postings included a stint at the U.S. Interests Section in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/communist-cuba-recently-legalized-small-businesses-already-dominating-countrys-economy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cuba<\/a> during a time when the U.S. lacked full diplomatic relations with Fidel Castro\u2019s communist government.<\/p>\n<p>Born in Colombia, Rocha was \u2064raised in a working-class home\u2064 in New York \u2063City and went on to obtain a succession of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/black-swan-author-colleges-not-taxpayers-should-pay-for-bidens-student-loan-wipeout\/\" title=\"\"Black Swan\" Author: Colleges\u2014Not Taxpayers\u2014Should Pay for Biden\u2019s Student Loan Wipeout\">liberal arts degrees<\/a> from Yale, \u2064Harvard and Georgetown \u200dbefore joining\u2064 the \u2064foreign service in 1981.<\/p>\n<p>He was the top U.S.\u2064 diplomat in\u200d Argentina between 1997 and 2000 \u200das a decade-long currency\u2063 stabilization program backed\u200d by Washington \u2063was unraveling under the weight of \u200bhuge foreign debt and stagnant growth, triggering a political crisis that\u200b would see the South American country cycle through five presidents \u2063in two weeks.<\/p>\n<p>At his next \u200bpost as ambassador to Bolivia, he intervened \u200cdirectly into the 2002 presidential race, warning weeks ahead of the vote that the U.S. would cut off assistance to the poor \u2062South American country if it were to elect former coca grower Evo Morales.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to remind the Bolivian electorate that if they\u2062 vote for those who want Bolivia to return \u2064to\u2064 exporting cocaine, that will seriously jeopardize any future aid to Bolivia from the United\u200d States,\u2033 Rocha said in a\u2064 speech that was widely \u2062interpreted as an attempt to sustain U.S. dominance in the region.<\/p>\n<p>The gambit worked but three years later Bolivians\u2062 elected Morales anyway and \u200bthe leftist leader would\u200d expel Rocha\u2019s successor as chief of the diplomatic mission for inciting \u201ccivil war.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rocha also served\u200c in\u2063 Italy, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and worked as a Latin America expert for\u200b the National Security Council.<\/p>\n<p>Rocha\u2019s wife, Karla Wittkop \u2064Rocha,\u2063 would not comment \u2063when contacted by the AP. \u201cI don\u2019t need to talk to you,\u201d she said before hanging up.<\/p>\n<p>Following his retirement from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/biden-facing-mutiny-levels-state-department-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">State \u200dDepartment<\/a>, Rocha began a second career in business, serving as the president of a gold\u200b mine in the \u2063Dominican Republic partly owned by Canada\u2019s Barrick Gold.<\/p>\n<p>More recently, he\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gamestop-poaches-its-new-ceo-and-cfo-from-amazon-looking-to-compete-in-e-commerce-space\/\" title=\"GameStop Poaches Its New CEO And CFO From Amazon, Looking To Compete In E-Commerce Space\">held senior roles<\/a> at XCoal, \u200ba Pennsylvania-based coal exporter; Clover\u200d Leaf \u2064Capital, a company formed to facilitate mergers in the cannabis industry; law firm Foley &#038; Lardner and Spanish \u200bpublic relations firms Llorente &#038; Cuenca.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur\u200d firm remains\u2063 committed to transparency and will closely monitor \u2064the \u2064situation, \u2062cooperating fully with the authorities \u200cif any\u200c information becomes available\u2063 to us,\u201d Dario Alvarez, CEO \u2062of Llorente &#038; Cuenca\u2019s U.S. operations, said\u2064 in an \u200demail.<\/p>\n<p>XCoal\u200c and Clover Leaf Capital did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Foley &#038; Lardner said Rocha left the law firm in August.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic\">The Western Journal \u2064has reviewed this Associated Press story and may \u200chave altered \u2063it \u200cprior to publication to ensure that \u200dit meets our\u200c editorial\u200d standards.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200bpost <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-former-us-ambassador-arrested-accused-working-communist-nation-report\/\">Former US Ambassador Arrested, Accused of Working for Communist \u2062Nation: \u2062Report<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The\u2063 Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u200b What measures has the U.S. Justice\u200b Department \u2064taken to crack down on illicit\u200c foreign lobbying?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  ,\u2062 Rocha resigned from his\u2062 post after a tumultuous period of anti-government\u200d protests in Bolivia. \u2063It\u2064 was unclear \u200dat the time whether his \u200dresignation was related\u2062 to the unrest or not.<\/p>\n<p>Since leaving the foreign service, Rocha has worked in the private sector, including as a consultant on international affairs. He has also been involved in advocacy work, particularly on Latin American issues.<\/p>\n<p>The arrest of a former U.S.\u200b ambassador on charges \u200dof secretly serving \u2062as an agent\u200b of a foreign \u2064government is\u2063 a\u2064 rare\u2064 occurrence. It raises important questions about\u2064 the extent of foreign influence in American\u2062 politics and the actions of individuals\u200d who hold significant positions of \u200bpower.<\/p>\n<p>It \u2063is crucial to \u2062investigate and bring\u2062 to light \u200dany\u2064 instance where individuals may be working on behalf of \u200cforeign governments without proper\u2064 disclosure. The U.S. \u200dJustice \u200bDepartment\u200b has been cracking down \u200don\u2063 illicit foreign lobbying in \u2064recent years, and this case appears\u2064 to be another example of their\u2064 efforts \u2063to enforce the\u2064 law.<\/p>\n<p>The charges against Rocha, if proven true, are deeply concerning. The role of an ambassador is to \u200brepresent the interests \u200dof\u2062 their own country and \u200cto promote diplomacy and cooperation\u2063 between nations. Serving \u2062as an agent\u2062 of a foreign government undermines the principles of trust\u2064 and\u2063 transparency that are vital to effective diplomacy.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that Rocha&#8217;s diplomatic career spanned both Democratic \u200cand Republican administrations is also noteworthy. \u200dIt demonstrates the importance of keeping a vigilant eye on \u2063individuals \u2064in positions of power, \u2064regardless of political affiliation.<\/p>\n<p>Foreign influence\u2063 in U.S. politics is \u2063not \u2064a new issue. It \u2062has been a topic of concern \u200bfor many years, with allegations of interference and manipulation\u2063 by \u2062foreign governments. Efforts to combat this type of \u2064influence are \u200dcrucial to protecting the integrity of American democracy.<\/p>\n<p>As more\u200d details about the \u2063case emerge, it \u200cwill be\u2062 interesting to see the evidence against Rocha and how\u200d the legal process unfolds. \u200cIf found guilty, he could face \u2064severe\u2063 penalties for his actions.<\/p>\n<p>This \u200darrest serves \u200das a reminder that even those in \u200desteemed positions can become susceptible to foreign influence. \u2064It underscores the \u2063need \u200dfor continued oversight and vigilance to \u2062ensure that \u200bindividuals tasked with representing the United States do so faithfully and without conflicts of\u200b interest.<\/p>\n<p>The arrest of a former U.S. ambassador accused of working for \u2063a communist nation is a serious matter. It is a \u200cstark reminder\u2064 of the potential dangers of \u2062foreign interference in American politics and the\u200d importance of upholding the \u2064principles of national sovereignty and diplomatic \u200bintegrity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A former US ambassador to Bolivia, Manuel Rocha, has been arrested in Miami as part of an ongoing FBI counterintelligence investigation. Accused of acting as a covert agent for the Cuban government, Rocha, 73, was taken into custody on Friday. Further information regarding the case is yet to be disclosed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":2115123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2115122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2115122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2115122"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2115122\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2115123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2115122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2115122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2115122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}