While Ariel Henry, through a “made in Caricom” decree, requires members of the Transition Council to accept the occupation of their country, a former American ambassador officially pleaded guilty on Friday to having worked for the services Cuban intelligence services for decades. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, bringing a swift end to a case that prosecutors described as one of the longest betrayals of the U.S. government in history.
Victor Manuel Rocha, a former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, was indicted in December for spying on Cuba’s intelligence agency for more than 40 years. Mr. Rocha, who lives in Miami, initially pleaded not guilty in mid-February, before reversing course later that month.
The resolution of the case was briefly called into question during a hearing Friday, when District Judge Beth Bloom questioned whether the agreement Rocha reached with prosecutors was harsh enough, since it did not provide compensation for possible victims and did not revoke Rocha’s American citizenship. Prosecutors argued that a 15-year sentence was sufficient, given that the 73-year-old would likely die in prison.
The agreement was ultimately amended to include compensation for potential victims, which will be determined later. The possibility of a denaturalization is also possible in the context of a civil action.
