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☆ Guatemalan Ex-President Alejandro Giammattei Barred From Entry Into US
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Former Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei is barred from entering the U.S. over allegations of "his involvement in significant corruption," the State Department said on Wednesday. Giammattei was defeated in August by anti-corruption crusader Bernardo Arevalo as he sought re-election as leader of Central American's most populous nation. "The State Department has credible information indicating that Giammattei accepted bribes in exchange for the performance of his public functions during his tenure as president of Guatemala, actions that undermined the rule of law and government transparency," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. Reuters was not able to immediately reach Giammattei for comment. (Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Lisa Shumaker)

Persons: Alejandro Giammattei, Giammattei, Bernardo Arevalo, Matthew Miller, Arevalo, Eric Beech, Dan Whitcomb, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: WASHINGTON, State Department, Central, Department, Reuters Locations: Guatemalan, Central American's, Guatemala

☆ Israel-Hamas War U.S. to Return Yemen’s Houthi Militia to Terrorism List
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

But even the lesser label of specially designated global terrorist group could jeopardize U.S. and Saudi efforts to construct a lasting peace deal to end the conflict. The conflict created a humanitarian catastrophe that Mr. Biden, as a candidate in 2020, vowed to address. Following a debate within the Trump administration, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist group in mid-January 2021. In February 2021, less than three weeks after Mr. Biden took office, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken reversed Mr. Pompeo’s designations. Asked by a reporter last week whether he considered the Houthis a terrorist group, Mr. Biden did not equivocate.

Persons: Biden, Yemen’s, Trump, Jake Sullivan, Tim Lenderking, Mike Pompeo, Antony J, Blinken, Tom Cotton, Mr, ” Mr, Cotton, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “, ” Organizations: U.S, State Department, Economic, Sana’a Center, Strategic Studies, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, U.S . Agency for International Development, United Nations, Associated Press, Republican, United Locations: Houthi, Yemen, Iran, U.S, United States, Saudi, Gaza, Israel, Davos, Switzerland, Al Qaeda, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Arkansas, United Arab

☆ Biden designates Houthis terrorist group, as U.S. ramps up Red Sea counterstrikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"If the Houthis cease their attacks, we can consider delisting the designation," a senior administration official said Tuesday on a call with reporters. It is the next move in the U.S. pressure campaign to weaken the Houthis' Red Sea siege, which the official called "a textbook definition of terrorism." Three years later, after months of Red Sea attacks, the Houthis have regained their spot on a U.S. terrorist list. The latest Houthi terrorist label is "one piece of a broader effort" to stabilize global trade in the Red Sea and prevent regional war in the Middle East, the official added. Since the Houthis began their strikes shortly after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, major shipping giants like Maersk have paused Red Sea business activity due to safety concerns.

Persons: Saleh al, Samad, Abduljabbar Zeyad, Mohammed Hamoud, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Yemen's Huthi Organizations: Reuters, U.S . State Department, The State Department, United Nations, Yemen's Huthi Ansarullah Media, Afp, Getty Locations: Saudi, Hodeidah, Yemen, U.S, Sana'a, Israel, Gaza, Red

But aid officials expressed concern. The sanctions that come with the formal designation are meant to sever violent extremist groups from their sources of financing. Aid groups during the height of Yemen's war issued repeated warnings that millions of Yemenis were on the brink of famine. Aid groups said that step could have the effect of criminalizing ordinary trade and assistance to Yemenis. At home, the designation helps the Houthis' message to Yemenis that the U.S. is the cause of their suffering, Al-Omeisy said.

Persons: Scott Paul, Jared Rowell, Biden, “, Hisham Al, Omeisy, ’ ” Organizations: Oxfam America, U.S, Nations, International Rescue Locations: Iran, Saudi, Britain, Yemen, Israel, U.S, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Washington

☆ These 11 senators supported Bernie Sanders's resolution to force a State Department report on Israeli human rights violations in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewJust 11 senators on Tuesday evening supported advancing a resolution from Sen. Bernie Sanders that would have significantly escalated congressional oversight of US military aid to Israel. AdvertisementUnder a relatively obscure provision within US law, the resolution would have forced the State Department to provide Congress with a report on human rights violations by Israel. "We will be voting on a very simple question: do you support asking the State Department whether human rights violations may have occurred using US equipment or assistance in this war?" However, it would be highly unusual for the State Department to fail to respond to an oversight request from Congress. "This should be the beginning of a broader human rights oversight process," said Chappell.

Persons: —, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Sanders, — Sen, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mitch McConnell, Israel, Gaza —, Chris Coons, Coons, John, Chappell, Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen, It's Organizations: Service, Business, Gaza Health Ministry, State Department, Israel, Senate Foreign Relations, Foreign Assistance, Department, Center for Civilians Locations: Israel, Gaza, Chris Coons of Delaware, Ukraine, Virginia, Maryland

If so, U.S. military aid to Israel, long assured without question, could be quickly halted. Heading toward the vote, Sanders said senators are nervous because what he’s trying to do is unprecedented in procedure and essentially practice. The action comes as Biden's request for $106 billion supplemental national security aid for Israel as well as Ukraine and other military needs is at a standstill. Going further, Sanders had already announced his refusal to support more military aid to Israel in the package because of the war. It requires that any arms or military aid must be used in accordance with international human rights accords.

Persons: Sen, Bernie Sanders, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Antony Blinken, Sanders, Israel, ” Sanders, John Kirby, ” Kirby, Netanyahu, Nixon, it's, Ellen Knickmeyer Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . State Department, Hamas, Israel, U.S, United, White House National Security, Foreign, State Department, Republicans, GOP, U.S . Associated Press Locations: Israel, Gaza, U.S, United States, Vermont, Ukraine, Mexico

☆ Senate to Vote on Forcing Human Rights Report as a Condition for Israel Aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Karoun Demirjian | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

More than 100 days later, that consensus on Capitol Hill shows signs of fraying, as left-wing Democrats alarmed by the rising human toll of the war in Gaza press to limit aid to Israel or impose strict conditions on it. The effort has divided Democrats and spurred an intensive lobbying countereffort by pro-Israel groups. It will reach a peak on Tuesday, when the Senate votes on a resolution that would freeze all U.S. security aid to Israel unless the State Department produces a report within 30 days examining whether the country committed human rights violations in its conduct of the war. If the Biden administration misses the deadline, the aid would be restored once Congress receives the report, or takes separate votes to ensure the assistance continues uninterrupted. “That with American military aid, children are starving to death, is to me — I mean, I just don’t know what adjectives I can use.

Persons: Biden, Bernie Sanders, Israel, Mr, Sanders, ” Organizations: Hamas, Israel, Capitol Hill, State Department, Republicans, Senate Locations: United States, Gaza, Israel, Vermont, United

☆ The Israel-Hamas war has already forced U.S. military action. Is war with Hezbollah next?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty ImagesIs a wider Middle East war — expanding beyond the borders of Gaza and Israel — inevitable? An all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah — the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shia militant organization designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. and UK — would be devastating for both sides. Lebanon, meanwhile, is in the midst of economic and political crisis, its infrastructure wholly unprepared for a new war. Evelyn Hockstein | Afp | Getty ImagesFor Charles Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser, war between Israel and Hezbollah is practically a foregone conclusion. But, he warned, "The war in Gaza pales in comparison to what a war with Hezbollah would look like.

Persons: Wissam tawil, Antony Blinken, Evelyn Hockstein, Charles Freilich, Freilich, Nimrod Novik, Hassan Nasrallah, Israel —, Naim Qassem, Wissam Tawil, Mahmoud Zayyat Organizations: Iranian, Getty, Israeli Air Force, State Department, Jan, Hezbollah, U.S, Afp, Haaretz, Israel Policy Forum Locations: Lebanese, Khirbit, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Red, . Washington, Doha, Tel Aviv, Kherbet Selm

☆ U.S. to Return Houthis to Terrorism List
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration plans to designate Yemen’s Houthi militia as a terrorist organization, partly reimposing penalties it lifted nearly three years ago on an Iran-backed group whose attacks on Red Sea shipping traffic have drawn a U.S. military response. Beginning in mid-February, the United States will consider the Houthis a “specially designated global terrorist” group, according to a U.S. official, blocking its access to the global financial system, among other penalties. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a policy that had not yet been officially announced. But Biden officials stopped short of applying a second, more severe designation — that of “foreign terrorist organization” — which the Trump administration imposed on the Houthis in its final days. The State Department revoked both designations shortly after President Biden took office in early 2021.

Persons: Yemen’s, Biden, Trump Organizations: Biden, U.S, State Department Locations: Iran, U.S, United States

☆ Biden administration expected to re-designate Houthis as a global terrorist entity
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Biden administration is expected to re-designate the Houthis as a specially designated global terrorist (SDGT) entity amid continued attacks by the Yemen-based militia, a source familiar told CNN Tuesday. The administration removed the Houthis’ SDGT designation and de-listed it as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in February 2021, after it was designated by the Trump administration in its final weeks. Both the SDGT and FTO designations trigger an asset freeze, but only an FTO designation imposes immigration restrictions on members, according to the State Department. Last Thursday, the United States and the United Kingdom launched strikes against Houthi targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. “This has been an attack on international commerce, international shipping, not an attack on Israel, not an attack on the United States.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Trump, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, “, “ We’ve, ” Organizations: CNN, State Department, Administration, CNBC Locations: Yemen, Gaza, United States, United Kingdom, Houthi, Red, Israel

☆ John Kerry steps down from Biden administration
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

John Kerry stepped down as special envoy on climate on Saturday. Biden brought on Kerry in 2020 to serve in the National Security Council's first climate position. AdvertisementJohn Kerry , the US special envoy on climate, is stepping down from the Biden administration in the coming weeks, according to two people familiar with his plans. The New York Times, citing a person familiar with the matter, reported that Kerry handed his resignation to President Joe Biden on Wednesday. During his tenure with the Biden administration, Kerry was often seen working with China on climate goals and encouraged the US to work with China to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Persons: John Kerry, Biden, Kerry, —, Joe Biden, Axios, Obama, Han Zheng, John Kerry's, Al Gore Organizations: Kerry, National Security, Service, The New York Times, The State Department, Times . Staff, Times, National Security Council, Paris Climate Accords, Senate Foreign Relations, Massachusetts, Senate, Democratic, State Department, White, Business Locations: China, Kerry, Paris, Beijing

Now, fighting and preventing wildfires and helping the island of Maui recover from the flames top the agenda as Hawaii's Legislature returns for a new session this week. The Senate majority said in a news release it was committed to forming a fire risk task force and seeking permanent funding for the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, which is a hub for wildfire prevention and mitigation. Josh Green, a Democrat, in December asked lawmakers to appropriate $425 million for the Maui cleanup and emergency housing, and millions more to reduce statewide wildfire risk. Nakamura said the Maui fires exacerbated a problem that existed long before: the proliferation of vacation rentals around the state. “If they can’t find an affordable rental and use their skills in Hawaii, then we all lose out,” she said.

Persons: ”, Nadine Nakamura, Nakamura, Josh Green, Colin Moore, Moore, “, ” Moore Organizations: Democrat, Democrats, of Land, Natural Resources, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, Senate, Gov, University of Hawaii Locations: HONOLULU, Hawaii, Lahaina, Maui, Kula

Humorous and quirky messages on electronic signs will soon disappear from highways and freeways across the country. Administration officials said overhead electronic signs with obscure meanings, references to pop culture or those intended to be funny will be banned in 2026 because they can be misunderstood or distracting to drivers. Among those that will be disappearing are messages such as “Use Yah Blinkah” in Massachusetts; “Visiting in-laws? Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesArizona has more than 300 electronic signs above its highways. For the last seven years, the state Department of Transportation has held a contest to find the funniest and most creative messages.

Persons: —, Hocus, “, ”, David Cook Organizations: PHOENIX, U.S, Federal, Administration, U.S . Department of Transportation, Spangled, Department of Transportation, Republican, Globe, Phoenix TV, CBS Locations: ”, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Arizona

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa principal who put himself in harm’s way to protect students during a school shooting earlier this month died Sunday, a funeral home confirmed. Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home & Crematory confirmed the death of Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger after the family announced it on a GoFundMe page. An 11-year-old middle school student was killed in the shooting, and six other people were injured. Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Mitch Mortvedt said after the shooting that Marburger did some “pretty significant things” to protect others, but didn’t release details. Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks said Marburger was a “hero” who intervened with the teenage gunman so students could escape.

Persons: Caldwell Parrish, Crematory, Dan Marburger, Marburger, Marburger “, Marburger's, Elizabeth, “ Dan, Perry, Claire Marburger, ”, “ That’s, ” Marburger, Mitch Mortvedt, Clark Wicks, Ahmir Jolliff, Mortvedt, Dylan Butler, “, ___ Ahmed, Josh Funk Organizations: DES, Perry High School, of Public Safety, ”, Iowa, Criminal, Authorities, Associated Press Locations: DES MOINES, Iowa, An Iowa, Minneapolis, Omaha , Nebraska

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — After Texas fenced off a park along the U.S.-Mexico border and began turning away Border Patrol agents, Republican Gov. He relayed frustration over migrants illegally entering the U.S. through the border city of Eagle Pass and federal agents loading them onto buses. The weekend deaths once again escalated tensions between Texas and the Biden administration. Border Patrol must have access to the border to enforce our laws,” White House spokesman Angelo Fernández Hernández said in a statement Sunday. “However, the bottom line is that Border Patrol was barred from entering Shelby Park,” Cuellar said in a statement.

Persons: Greg Abbott, ” Abbott, ‘ We’ve, We’re, ’ ” Abbott, “, Biden, ”, Angelo Fernández Hernández, Abbott, Henry Cuellar, ” Cuellar, Rolando Salinas, Melissa R, Cigarroa, ___ Stengle, Paul J, Weber, Mark Stevenson Organizations: —, Border Patrol, Republican Gov, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, Border, Texas Military Department, Lone Star, Migrants, Rio Grande . U.S . Rep, Democrat, ”, ” Texas Military Department, of Public Safety, Eagle Pass, Justice Department, U.S, Supreme, Shelby, Democratic, Wall Coalition, National Guard, Associated Press Locations: BROWNSVILLE , Texas, — After Texas, U.S, Mexico, Houston, Eagle, Texas, Rio Grande, Shelby, Rio Grande . U.S, ” Texas, . Texas, Laredo, Dallas, Austin, Mexico City

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A Texas congressman said Saturday that three migrants, including two children, drowned while trying to reach the U.S. near the border city of Eagle Pass, where the Biden administration says Texas has begun denying access to Border Patrol agents. An Abbott spokesperson referred questions to the Texas Military Department, which did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday. Cuellar, whose district include the Texas border, said Mexican authorities alerted Border Patrol of the distressed migrants struggling in the river late Friday. The 50-acre park is owned by the city, but it is used by the state Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department to patrol border crossings. On Saturday, Texas submitted a response to the court that disputed claims that Border Patrol agents were denied access to the park.

Persons: —, Biden, Henry Cuellar, Greg Abbott's, Abbott, Cuellar, ”, Julio Vasquez Organizations: Border Patrol, U.S . Rep, U.S, Justice Department, Supreme, Shelby, Border, Republican Gov, Lone Star, Migrants, Texas Military Department, Texas National Guard, Shelby Park, Guard, Homeland Security, . Customs, Protection, of Public Safety, Patrol, National Guard Locations: BROWNSVILLE , Texas, Texas, Eagle, Mexico, Rio Grande

☆ Oil prices rise on Middle East tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices gained on Friday, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepared to visit the Middle East to try and prevent the Israel-Gaza conflict from widening. The price rebound serves as "a reminder of the risk that is rooted in ever-growing tension in the Middle East," PVM analyst Tamas Varga said in a note. As the threat of the conflict expanding persists, Blinken was set to travel to the Middle East for a week of diplomacy, the State Department said. "There is still plenty of tension in the Middle East with Houthi rebels launching a sea drone in the Red Sea, a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad," ING analysts said in a report on Friday. Euro zone inflation rose in December and could continue rising in early 2024, which would ease pressure on the European Central Bank to start cutting rates.

Persons: pumpjack, Antony Blinken, Tamas Varga, Blinken, Investors Organizations: Brent, U.S, West Texas, State Department, ING, European Central Bank, Federal Locations: Bakersfield, Kern County , California, USA, Israel, Gaza, Red, U.S, Baghdad

☆ U.S. issues strongest criticism of Israel yet as civilian deaths in Gaza surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-08 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron shake hands at the end of a joint press conference, at the State Department in Washington, U.S., December 7, 2023. The Biden administration issued its strongest criticism yet of Israel's military campaign in Gaza for its civilian death toll, as the Israel-Hamas war hits the two-month mark. "We are focused ... on the imperative of maximizing efforts to protect civilians, and get not only assistance in but to sustain the higher level of assistance that was reached during the humanitarian pause and actually build on it. "Having said that," he added, "as we stand here almost a week into this campaign in the south after the end of the humanitarian pause ... it remains imperative that Israel put a premium on civilian protection. And there does remain a gap between exactly what I said when I was there, the intent to protect civilians, and the actual results that we're seeing on the ground."

Persons: Antony Blinken, David Cameron, Biden, Blinken, Israel Organizations: British, State Department Locations: Washington , U.S, Gaza, Israel, Washington

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has made a new and significant offer aimed at securing the release of American detainees Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich, but Russia has rejected the offer, the State Department said Tuesday. It was a significant proposal,” Miller said. Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, has been jailed in Russia since his December 2018 arrest on espionage-related charges that both he and the U.S. government dispute. Gershkovich and the Journal deny the allegations, and Russian authorities haven’t detailed any evidence to support the espionage charges. Griner was ultimately released in December in a prisoner swap with notorious Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, but Whelan was not part of the deal.

Persons: —, Biden, Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, Whelan, Gershkovich, “, Miller, Evan, ”, Antony Blinken, Brittney Griner, Griner, Viktor Bout Organizations: WASHINGTON, State Department, U.S, Street Journal Locations: Russia, Washington, Moscow, U.S, Michigan, Russian, Yekaterinburg, Gershkovich

☆ Blinken announces policy to restrict visas to US for extremists in West Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a new policy Tuesday to prevent extremist Israeli settlers responsible for violence in the West Bank from coming to the United States. The State Department will be able to apply the policy to both Israelis and Palestinians who are responsible for attacks in the West Bank, Blinken said. “We will continue to seek accountability for all acts of violence against civilians in the West Bank, regardless of the perpetrator or the victim,” Blinken said. “Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority have the responsibility to uphold stability in the West Bank. Instability in the West Bank both harms the Israeli and Palestinian people and threatens Israel’s national security interests.

Persons: Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, Blinken, Netanyahu, Biden, “, ” Organizations: CNN, West Bank, State Department, The State Department, Authority, Palestinian Authority Locations: United States, “, Israel

But the $290 billion outlay comes without a parallel plan to prepare Yonaguni for a possible humanitarian crisis that residents like Sakihara say could quickly overwhelm their shores. Tokyo, they said, has no plan to deal with them, and locals' pleas for help have gone unanswered. A spokesperson for Japan's Cabinet Secretariat said that "if large numbers of refugees came to Japan, relevant government departments would work together to respond". Even if he had a refugee plan, Kishida would still face an obstacle: his contentious relationship with the Okinawa government that administers Yonaguni. NOT ENOUGH TO SHAREBack in Yonaguni, resident Satoshi Nagahama, 33, was surprised to learn the government had no humanitarian plan for refugees.

Persons: Sonkichi Sakihara, chancing, Kenichi Itokazu, Itokazu, Hirokazu Matsuno, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Lai Ching, Matsuno, Fumio Kishida, Kevin Maher, Maher, Yoshihide Yoshida, Japan's, shouldn't, Kishida, Denny Tamaki, it's, Hironobu, Satoshi Nagahama, Sakihara, Koji Sugama, Tim Kelly, Kaori Kaneko, Yukiko Toyoda, Ben Blanchard, Kentaro Sugiyama, David Crawshaw Organizations: Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, U.S, Japan Coast Guard, Migration Policy Institute, Nations, NMV Consulting, State Department, Defense Forces, it's, University's Research, of Disaster Management, Thomson Locations: YONAGUNI, Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Tokyo, Yonaguni, Taipei, Myanmar, Europe, East, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Washington, East Asia, Okinawa

☆ US charges ex-ambassador with spying for Cuba over decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rocha, 73, was arrested and is expected to appear before a federal judge in Miami on Monday. Bolivian President Hugo Banzer shakes hands with Victor Manuel Rocha, the then U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia, during a ceremony in the Goverment Palace in La Paz, August 3, 2000. File photo DM/JP/HB Acquire Licensing RightsRocha worked for the State Department from 1981 to 2002, the Justice Department said. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters he was unable to provide details on an ongoing law enforcement matter.

Persons: Victor Manuel Rocha, Merrick Garland, Rocha, Hugo Banzer, Matthew Miller, Miller, Andrew Goudsward, Katharine Jackson, Ismail Shakil, Simon Lewis, Rami Ayyub, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Justice, Justice Department, Cuban, United, Bolivian, HB, State Department, White, National Security Council, . military's Southern Command, Washington, Directorate of Intelligence, Thomson Locations: United States, Bolivia, Cuba, Miami, Goverment, La Paz, Florida, U.S

☆ Former U.S. ambassador spied for Cuba for decades, Justice Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announces that Victor Manuel Rocha, the former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, has been charged with acting illegally as a foreign agent for the government of Cuba, Dec. 4, 2023. Prosecutors say Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, spent more than 40 years spying for Cuba while he rose through the State Department, where he was U.S. ambassador to Bolivia during the Clinton administration. Rocha's case is "one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent," Attorney General Merrick Garland said Monday at a press conference. "To further that role, Rocha obtained and maintained employment in the United States government in positions that provided him: (1) access to nonpublic information, including classified information; and (2) the ability to affect United States foreign policy," wrote prosecutors. I have – have created the legend of a right-wing person," Rocha allegedly said, referring to the Cuban intelligence services.

Persons: General Merrick Garland, Victor Manuel Rocha, Clinton, Merrick Garland, Rocha, Rocha's Organizations: State Department, United, Southern, Southern District of, Foreign Government, DOJ, Undercover, Cuban Locations: Bolivia, Cuba, American, Miami, U.S, United States, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, Republic of Cuba, States, Cuban

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the visa restrictions and mentioned, among others, the marginalization of groups like the LGBT community in Uganda and civil society advocates in Zimbabwe. In June, the U.S. State Department imposed visa restrictions on Ugandan officials after the passage of the law. The State Department also previously put visa restrictions on Ugandan officials following the country's 2021 elections, which it called "flawed." Blinken also announced a new visa restriction policy for those he said were undermining democracy in Zimbabwe. "Anyone who undermines the democratic process in Zimbabwe - including in the lead-up to, during, and following Zimbabwe's August 2023 elections - may be found ineligible for U.S. visas under this policy," Blinken said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, SAUL LOEB, Blinken, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Kanishka Singh, Leslie Adler, Sandra Maler Organizations: Al, Al Maktoum International Airport, Rights, U.S . State, The State Department, Thomson Locations: Al Maktoum, Dubai, United States, Uganda, Zimbabwe . U.S, Zimbabwe, Washington

Federal prosecutors said on Monday that a retired State Department official worked for decades as a secret agent for Cuba, and told an undercover F.B.I. agent that the United States was “the enemy.”In a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Miami, the prosecutors said that the diplomat, Manuel Rocha, had secretly aided Cuba’s “clandestine intelligence-gathering mission against the United States” since 1981 as he rose undetected through the ranks of the diplomatic corps and the National Security Council. Mr. Rocha, 73, appeared to have met with handlers from Cuba’s premier spy agency as recently as 2017, prosecutors said, and boasted that his 40 years of spying on behalf of the communist government in Havana had “strengthened the revolution immensely.”For more than two decades, Mr. Rocha handled matters related to Latin America in a series of roles at the State Department under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, including a stint as ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002. More recently, Mr. Rocha, a native of Colombia who grew up in New York, served as an adviser to the U.S. military command responsible for Cuba.

Persons: Manuel Rocha, Cuba’s, . Rocha, “, Rocha, Bill Clinton, George W, Bush Organizations: State Department, United, National Security Locations: Cuba, United States, Miami, Havana, America, Bolivia, Colombia, New York

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