Manuel Rocha

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Manuel Rocha is a United States diplomat and former Ambassador to Bolivia.

[edit] Background

Rocha graduated cum laude from Yale University in 1973, and he received a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University in 1976 and a Master's Degree in International Relations from Georgetown University in 1978.

Rocha began his career as a desk officer for Honduras with the United States Department of State in November 1981. In January 1983, he was appointed as a Political Officer for the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He went on to serve as a Watch Officer in the Operations Center of the Department of State and as a Consul for Political and Economic Affairs for the U.S. Consulate General in Florence, Italy. In March 1987, he was appointed Politico-Military officer for the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Rocha also has served as Deputy Principal Officer of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba, as well as the Director for Inter-American Affairs at the National Security Council in Washington, DC. From November 1991 until June 1994, Rocha was the Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Prior to that, he was Deputy Political Counselor for the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. After October 1997, he served as Charge d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. From July to October 1997, he was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy.

[edit] Ambassadorship to Bolivia

Manuel Rocha was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia on July 14, 2000 and presented his credentials to the President of Bolivia on August 4, 2000. He created an intense controversy with comments regarding Evo Morales and coca growers movement in the country. Rocha ended his term on August 7, 2002.