Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T19:05:39.407Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Extradition of Marcos Pérez Jiménez, 1959–63: Practical Precedent for Enforcement of Administrative Honesty?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2009

Judith Ewell
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Honesty in high public office has always been difficult to enforce. Arguments of executive privilege often block prosecution of presidents who have illicitly enriched themselves; likewise, the divisiveness which accompanies judicial action against a head of state contributes to the reluctance of politicians to initiate such action. When the public official in question is living in exile, the task of the courts is compounded. Prosecution then may depend upon the existence of an extradition treaty in which the alleged crimes are specified and upon the good will of the country where the politician enjoys asylum.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Latin American Studies , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , November 1977 , pp. 291 - 313
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Certified copy of the record of sworn declaration of assets, Mathes Papers, Zimmerman Library, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico; see also Appendices A and B, Plaintiff's Memorandum of the Facts, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

2 Pineda, Leonardo Ruíz was killed by Seguridad Nacional (SN) police force on 21 Oct. 1952; Antonio Pinto Salinas by SN on 11 June 1953; both were members of the outlawed Accioacute;n Democr´tica party and were leading the subversive fight to overthrow Perez's dictatorship.Google Scholar

3 After Pérez left Venezuela in Jan. 1958, a provisional governing junta ruled Venezuela until elections were held in Dec. 1958; Rómulo Betancourt of Acción Democr´tica won the election and took office in 1959.Google Scholar

4 de Venezuela, República, Procuraduría de Ia Nación, Informe al Congreso Nacional 1957–1958 (Caracas, 1959), p. 699.Google Scholar

5 Repúblics de Venezuela, Comisión investigadora ley contra ci enriquecimiento ilícito de funcionarios o empleados públicos, Informe presentado al Con greso Nacional correspondiente al periodo 1959–1964 (Caracas, 1965), p. 20;Google ScholarEl Nacional, 26 Mar. 1958, p. 1, 23 Sept. 1958, p. 27.Google Scholar

6 Repúiblica de Venezuela, Procuraduriá de Ia Naci´n, Informe al Con greso Nacional 1957–1958, pp. 23, 27.Google Scholar

7 Disposiciones Transitorias, 20, 25, 22, Venezuelan Constitution 1961.Google Scholar

8 República de Venezuela, Ministerio de Justicia, Memoria y Cuenta 1959 (Caracas, 1960), p. 379.Google Scholar

9 El Nacional, 15 Aug. 1959, p. 1.Google Scholar

10 Moore, John Bassett, A Digest of International Law (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Govt. Printing Office, 1906), 4:343.Google Scholar

11 Interview with Westwood, Howard, 18 Nov. 1969.Google Scholar

12 Interview with Velásquez, Ramón, 4 June 1970.Google Scholar

13 Cayula, José and Pachano, David, ‘El Juicio del siglo’, Elite 2219 (6 04 1968), pp. 44–5. Source for this article was a detailed report sent to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry by the chargé d'affaires involved in these activities. Some of this material also appeared in various parts of the trial transcripts.Google Scholar

14 The Miami Herald, 11 Sept. 1959, p. 2.Google Scholar

15 The New York Times, 28 Mar. 1959, p. 16.Google Scholar

16 In December 1958, the average judge in Miami had 450 pending cases as compared to a United States average of 238 cases. Four visiting judges helped to lighten the load in Miami during the winter. The Miami Herald, 17 May 1959, p. 5; 19 May 1959, p.6; 17 June 1959, p. 2.Google Scholar

17 Cayuela and Pachano, op. cit., 45.Google Scholar

18 Pérez liméncz v. Aristeguieta & Maguire, 19, 507 (5th Cir., 1962), 2:529–34.Google Scholar

19 Ibid., 2:595.

20 Ibid., 2:462; 3:388.

21 Some Venezuelan works which treat illicit enrichment are the following: Morillo, Gilberto, El Enriquecimienro Ilícito en Venezuela (Caracas, 1965);Google ScholarMartin, Américo, Los Feces Gordos (Valencia, Venez, 1975)Google ScholarRangel, José Vicente, Quien encubre a los culpables? (Caracas, 1975);Google ScholarQuilarque, Pedro (ed.), Contribución al estudio dcl enriquecimiento ilícito de fun. cionarios y empleados públicos en Venezuela, 1813–1959 (Caracas, 1973).Google Scholar

22 Order of 13 Nov. 1959, Ord¯er of 23 Nov. 1959, Petition for writ of prohibition of mandamus, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

23 The Miami Herald, 11 June 1963, p. 7; Memorandum for Intervenor M. Aristeguieta, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

24 Annex No. 6, Memorandum in support of defendant's motion to dismiss, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

25 Memorandum in support of defendant's motion to dismiss, pp. 152–4, 140–3, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

26 Ibid.

27 Certified copy of the record of sequestration of a valise of General Jiménez, Marcos Péz, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

28 Jiménez, Flor Pérez to Plaza, Teniente Vincio, 24 Jan. 1958, Mathes Papers;Google ScholarJiménez, Marcos Pérez to Pena, Diogenes, 24 Oct 1958, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

29 Certified copy of the record of sequestration of a valise of General Marcos Pérez Jiménez, Mathes Papers; List of the assets of General Marcos Pérez Jiménez when he fled the country, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

30 Pérez Jiménez v. Arisieguieta & Maguire, 4:961–69.Google Scholar

31 Morilo, Gilberto, El Enriquecimiento llicito en Venezuela (Caracas, Secretar´a Nacional de Fuerza Democrática Popular, 1965), p. 88.Google Scholar

32 Perez Jiménez v. Aristeguieta & Maguire, 3:860–70; 4:961–69.Google Scholar

33 Davis, Wallace M. to Jimnez, Marcos Péz, 27 Nov. 1957, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

34 Plaintiff's Evidence, 4:59–61, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

35 Ibid., 5:119–21; 9:82, 127, 128; Plaintiff's memorandum on the facts, Mathes Papers.

36 Plaintiff's Evidence, 6:59; 7:114, 138, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

37 Ibid., 7:115.

38 Ibid., 7: 168; Plaintiff's memorandum on the facts, Mathes Papers.

39 Ibid.

40 Plaintiff's Evidence, 7:168, 175, 187–89, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

41 Ibid., 7:174–86 passim.

42 Ibid., 8:9–10.

43 Whiteman, Marjorie (ed.), Digest of International Law (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of State, 1968), 6:1000.Google Scholar

44 Ibid., p. 1007; Memorandum in support of defendant's motion to dismiss, Mathes Papers; Pérez Jiménez v. Aristeguieta &s Maguire, 2:443; 9:2644.Google Scholar

45 Memorandum for intervenor on the merits …, Mathes Papers; The New York Times, 8 Sept. 1960, p. 13.Google Scholar

46 Memorandum in support of defendant's motion to dismiss, Mathes Papers; Whiteman, 6:848.Google Scholar

47 Pérez jiménez v. Aristeguieta & Maguire, 9:2500, 2644.Google Scholar

48 Memorandum in support of defendant's motion to dismiss, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

49 Whiteman, op. cit., 6: 766.Google Scholar

50 Memorandum in support of defendant's motion to dismiss, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

51 Pérez Jiménez v. Aristeguieta & Maguire, 9:2640.Google Scholar

52 Memorandum in support of defendant's motion to dismiss, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

53 Ibid.

54 Ibid., Memorandum in reply to defendant's memorandum in support of his motion to dismiss, Mathes Papers; Pérez Jiménez v. Aristeguicta & Maguire, 10:2819–20.Google Scholar

55 Memorandum in support of defendant's motion to dismiss, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

56 Defendant's exhibit B., Mathes Papers; Pérez Jiménez v. Arisreguieta & Maguire, II:3036–38, 3041, 3049.Google Scholar

57 Betancourt, Rómulo, Ls Reuolución democr´tica en Venezuela 1959–1963: documentos del gobierno presidido por Rómulo Betancourt (Caracas: Imprenta Nacional, 1968), I: 139.Google Scholar

58 Motion to leave to intervene, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

59 Westwood, Howard to Mathes, William, 29 Mar. 1961, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

60 Pérez Jiménez v. Aristeguieta & Maguire, 10:2794.Google Scholar

61 sInterview with Westwood, Howard, 18 Nov. 1969.Google Scholar

62 See for example Carrillo, Leonardo Altuve, Yo juí embajador de Pérez jiménez (Caracas, 1973) for accounts of attempted bribery of United States oflicials.Google Scholar

63 Certification to the Secretary of State, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

64 Pérez Jiménez v. Aristeguieta & Maguire, I:78–79, 169, 572; 2:322–30.Google Scholar

65 The Miami Herald, 18 June 1961. Pérez Jiménez v. Aristeguieta & Maguire, 5:134.Google Scholar

66 Pérez Iiméncz v. Arisleguieta & Maguire, 2:296, 390.Google Scholar

67 The Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 1962, p. 18;Google ScholarThe New York, 26 July 1963, p. 2.Google Scholar

68 The Arizona Republic, 13 July 1963, p. 6;Google ScholarThe Miami Herald, 20 Dec. 1962, p. 6; 16 Oct. 1962, p. 6.Google Scholar

69 The Miami Herald, 19 Mar. 1963, p. 25.Google Scholar

70 Ibid., 18 Dec. 1962, p. 1.

71 Ibid., 16 Feb. 1963, p. 8.

72 Ibid., 16 May 1962, p. 14.

73 Ibid., 17 June 1963, p. 23.

74 Memorandum for M. Aristeguieta, Mathes Papers.Google Scholar

75 Ibid.

76 The Miami Herald, 1 July 1963, p. 15.Google Scholar

77 Paris, Enrique Tejera to Rusk, Dean, 22 July 1963, Archive 59–95, Supreme Court Archives, Caracas, Venezuela.Google Scholar

78 Rusk, Dean to Paris, Enrique Tejera, 12 Aug. 1963Google Scholar, Ibid.

79 Whiteman, 6:1061–62.Google Scholar

80 The Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 1963, p. 2. 16 Aug. 1963, p. 2.Google Scholar

81 Ibid., 17 Aug. 1963, pp. 1, 2; Memorandum for M. Aristeguieta, Mathes Papers.

82 Declaración Indagatoria, Archive 59–95, Supreme Court Archives, Caracas, Venezuela.Google Scholar

83 Ibid.

84 Ibid.

85 The New York Times, 2 Aug. 1968, p. 2;Google ScholarxCatal´, José Agustin (ed.), Proceso a on exdictador (Caracas: José Agustín Catl´a, 1969), pp. 397–98.Google Scholar