Former American diplomat Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, has been arrested. He and his wife Karla Oliva Wittkop Rocha, 63, are residents of Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States.
The U.S. Department of Justice is accusing Manuel of working to promote the interests of the government of Cuba. He used to serve as deputy principal officer of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba.
Details about Manuel’s alleged crimes have yet to be released. He was arrested in Miami on December 1, 2023 and is expected to appear in court on December 4, 2023.
Born in Colombia, Manuel grew up in New York City, New York, USA. As a U.S. diplomat, he served in Argentina, Bolivia, Italy, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
In November 1981, Manuel joined the U.S. Department of State as a desk officer for Honduras. In January 1983, he was appointed as a political officer for the U.S. embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
In March 1987, Manuel was appointed politico-military officer for the U.S. embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He was deputy political counselor for the U.S. embassy in Mexico City, Mexico before serving as the deputy chief of mission for the U.S. embassy in Sto. Domingo from November 1991 to June 1994.
From July 1997 to October 1997, Manuel served as the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In October 1997, he became chargé d’affaires at the embassy.
On July 14, 2000, Rocha as sworn in as a U.S. ambassador to Bolivia. On August 7, 2002, he ended his term.
CONAN Daily 