The widow of an anti-communist Cuban dissident who died in a car accident 12 years ago has filed charges against the former U.S. ambassador for espionage, The Associated Press reported Thursday.
Ofelia Paya, widow of the late Oswaldo Paya, has filed a lawsuit against Victor Manuel Rocha in Miami, Florida, accusing Rocha of being an “accomplice” in the “assassination” of the late Oswaldo Paya. . AP.
Ofelia Paya's lawsuit alleges that Rocha “directly assisted Cuban officials by providing them with sensitive intelligence and sensitive information obtained through his influential role.” There is. “If the defendants had not colluded with the Cuban dictatorship and provided intelligence and assistance, Cuba would not have been able to execute Mr. Paya with impunity.”
The complaint further alleges that Rocha used his position as special advisor to the head of the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) in Miami from 2006 to 2012 as a “pretense of loyalty and service to the United States” and that he used his position as special advisor to the head of Cuba's long-term dictator, SOUTHCOM, in Miami. It is claimed that he secretly supported the government of the late Fidel Castro. '' reported the Associated Press.Mr. Rocha Former US Ambassador to BoliviaHe reportedly took the job after retiring from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2002.
The lawsuit says there is no evidence linking Rocha to Paya's death, the report said. (Related: Justice Department charges former U.S. official with allegedly spying for Cuba for decades)
Southcom's areas of responsibility That reportedly includes Cuba. Oswaldo Paya criticized the Cuban regime and defended human freedom and the right to assembly through the grassroots Christian organization Barrera Project, the Associated Press reported.
The Associated Press said it had reviewed secret diplomatic communications released by WikiLeaks. It revealed that for nearly two years, from 2006 to 2008, American diplomats in Havana provided Southcom commanders with information about Paya's operations, American financial support, and interactions with American officials. The same report revealed.
The Cuban government has claimed that Oswaldo Paya died in July 2012 when his car crashed into a tree in Bayamo, Cuba, the Associated Press reported. report. His family and then-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power reportedly called for an investigation into the death. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said the driver of the car testified that a vehicle licensed by the Cuban government collided with the car, causing the accident. stated in the report.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Rocha was indicted in December last year on charges of “covertly operating for decades as an agent of the government of the Republic of Cuba and committing multiple federal crimes.” Said In a statement.
