Former US Ambassador to Bolivia Arrested for Alleged 40-Year Cuban Spy Operation”
In recent Miami arrest, former US Ambassador to Bolivia, Manuel Rocha, charged with spying for Cuba, creating one of the century’s biggest espionage scandals involving the communist island. The US Attorney General calls it a high-reaching infiltration of the US government by a foreign agent. Rocha, yet to plead, allegedly maintained a dual identity, expressing loyalty to Cuba undercover.
Undercover FBI evidence reveals Rocha praising Fidel Castro and calling the US the “enemy.” Experts, like former CIA counterintelligence head James Olson, note Cuba’s effectiveness in running spies for decades, surpassing even the KGB in tradecraft. Olson reveals a personal grudge, acknowledging Cuba’s success in espionage against the US.
Rocha, a top diplomat, had access to classified intelligence, raising concerns about information passed to Cuban handlers. Cuba remains silent, typically justifying espionage as defense against US attempts to overthrow the communist government.
Former Cuban spy Gerardo Hernández, part of a 1990s infiltration, asserts Cuba seeks covert information due to the US allowing anti-Castro groups to operate freely. He suggests Cuban patriots might gather information if there’s a threat.
Hernández, now in Cuba’s Council of State, emphasizes ideological spies, like himself, are harder to detect, acting out of conviction rather than money. Despite this, James Olson considers Rocha a traitor, predicting a severe legal outcome. (Source : BBC)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-67913465