V. Harwood Blocker
 V. Harwood Blocker  ( spook) | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 19 October 1936 |
| Died | 29 November 2017 (Age 81) |
| Nationality | US |
| Alma mater | • Texas Military Institute • Georgetown University • American University |
| Religion | Episcopal |
| Parents | • V. Harwood Blocker Jr. • Hazel Silliman Blocker |
Vinkler "Vinks" Harwood Blocker III was a CIA spook who was Chief of Station in at least two countries, including Guatemala between 1977 and 1980, during the brutal CIA-directed counterinsurgency campaign.[1]
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Background
He was the son of V. Harwood Blocker, Jr., and Hazel Silliman Blocker, and was born October 19, 1936, in Fort de France, Martinique, where his father was working as U.S. Consul. He spent his childhood in Martinique, Brazil, and Mexico where his parents were assigned.
Education
He graduated from the Texas Military Institute in San Antonio, Texas; received his B.A. degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.; and his masters degree from American University.
Career
Blocker began his CIA career in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and worked in Rio de Janeiro, Recife and Brasilia, Brazil; Lima, Peru; Guatemala City, Guatemala; and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
He was Chief of Station (COS) in Guatemala in 1977-80 and Brasilia in 1990.[2] Given his career trajectory, he might also have been COS in Peru and Argentina.
Following his retirement in 1994, he did private contract work in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Pakistan, Colombia and Chile. He was especially gifted in languages, speaking native Spanish and Portuguese. He met his wife, Stella Orgill Blocker from Memphis, when both were assigned to Santo Domingo in 1965.
