The plot around Victor Manuel Rochaformer diplomat and senior United States official, accused of spying for Cubatook a revealing turn over the course of last week, when the US media uncovered his business dealings that could have favored the Cuban regime in resolving its disputes with the neighboring country.
Specifically, the 73-year-old former State Department official set up a company through which he attempted to acquire claims for properties expropriated by the regime. Fidel Castrowith the intention of deactivate the pending litigation regarding them and “clean up” their history to offer them to potential investors in Cuba.
“According to the documents they left with several of our clients, they were trying to buy claims. “We want them to investigate if he was doing it to help Cuba remove clouds from the titles of these properties,” he told America TeVe lawyer Jason I. Poblete.
According to his explanation, Rocha’s business plan consisted of “removing those clouds,” which would allow him to attract more investment. “Why did he do it? Well, for money. Nobody does that for free. That is not public charity,” considered the Cuban-American lawyer and consultant.
“It wasn’t just one client, it was several of our clients. And we also know that they met with people, they say, even in Europe… They were doing it In fraganti. They were doing it without hiding it,” said Poblete.
For the also director of Global Liberty Alliance, something strange was noticeable in Rocha’s intentions. “I have clients who met with these people. Hey, they were almost three-hour comprehensive presentations, arguing that these claims were worthless. But at the end of the conversation, what did he do? He offered them triple or more the value of the claim. Why was he doing that? Nobody gives money away.”
Presenting himself as a fervent supporter of trump administration and someone who actively sought to undermine the Cuban regime, Rocha actually scoured the country seeking claims for property expropriated by the Castro regime. According to the aforementioned media, his hidden purpose was to negotiate with the Cuban dictatorship, thus nullifying the effects of the embargo imposed by the United States.
Although he seemed like a right-wing man, who openly supported Donald Trump and supported the fight against Castroism, Rocha and his partner Timothy Ashbyformer deputy assistant secretary of Commerce for the Western Hemisphere, used their inside knowledge to obtain claims for properties confiscated by the Castro brothers.
As part of their strategy, both former officials created Siboney Ltd. in 2006, a company registered on the Isle of Man, a tax haven in the United Kingdom. Through it, they acquired at least eight claims to confiscated properties in Cuba, an action that soon attracted the attention of the Treasury Department, which prohibited the sale of said claims without government authorization.
For Enrique Garciaa former intelligence officer, this case demonstrates the many tasks an agent can take on and the damage Cuba can do to the United States.
“There is an edge being shown with this research that was published today that we had not seen until now. If he had achieved the objective of having purchased those claims of expropriated properties, then the final beneficiary would have been the Cuban dictatorship, because with that one of the biggest obstacles related to the sanctions of the United States embargo on Cuba would have been removed. , he pointed.
With 5,913 certified claims involving confiscated property in Cuba, valued at $8.7 billion by American citizens and companies, Rocha and Ashby’s plan had the ambition of normalizing relations between the United States and Cuba. However, Cuba’s rejection frustrated efforts for a possible agreement during the Obama administration.
These new details shed light on an alleged clandestine scheme that could have had a profound impact on bilateral relations between both nations. At the moment, Timothy Ashby is not facing charges, but the case continues to uncover layers of a plot that defies expectations and diplomacy between the United States and Cuba.
