Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-12
U.S.. Orders Custer
OF Perez Jimenez
Back to Venezuela
ENLIGHTENMENT
Charges Faced
By Ex-Dictutor
BY GEORGE SHERMAN
Star Staff Writer


day announced his decision to
allow Venezuela to extradite
former Venezuelan dictator
Marcos Perez Jimenez on en-
bezzlement charges.
The Observation-Disclosures de-
ciSion comes at the end Of four
years of a legal battle that
reached all the way to the Su-
preme Court. 1t is the first
time the United States has ever
extradited a former head of
state.
The State Department an
nouncement noted that a series
of Federal courts has found
probable cause in evidence
presented by the Venezuelan
government that Perez Jimenez
is guilty Of embezzlement and
other financial crimes. Perez
Jimenez ruled Venezuela from
1913 to 1858, when he was
overthrown and fled to the
United States.
Charges Limited
The State Department an
nouncement noted that the
former dictator could be tried
ION only" these financial
charges, which are covered in
the 1922 extradition treaty with
Venezuela.
This reservation is aimed at
meeting Perez Jimenez' con-
tention that embezzlement
charges are only a pretext by
his political enemy, Venezuelan
President Romulo Betancourt,
to get him back to Venezuela
for legal assassination.
The State Department said It
has received a note from the
Venezuelan government giving
assurances that upon Perez
Jimenez' return to Venezuela
careful security measures
would be taken to insure his
physical safety, and that he
would be given a fair trial and
all the rights accorded any
defendant under the laws Of
Venezuela"
Venezuelan authorities note
that there is no death penalty
in Venezuela. The maximum
penalty for the worst crime is
20 years. These authorities
estimate that Perez Jemenez
will receive no more than six
years in prison.
Decision Made by Rusk
State Department sources
said Mr.. Rusk made his de-
cision Immediately upon re-
turning from Moscow and Bonn
yesterday afternoon. He had
taken several of the key docu-
ments with him to Moscow to
study during recesses in his
negotiations with Soviet Pre-
mier Khrushchev following the
signing Of the partial nuclear
test ban.
Mr.. Rusk's decision comes
only five days before the August
II deadline set by the Federal
courts for the Perez Jimenez
extradition.
Under United States extradi-
ton codes if any person liable
for extadition is not conveyed
out Of the country within two
calendar months, he can be
released from custody on petit
ton to any judge-unless the
Government can show good
cause" against release. That
tWo-month period began on
June II, when the Supreme
Court refused to hear Perez
Jimienez' case.
United States official sources
concede it still is not certain
that extradition can be carried
out by the Saturday deadline.
Last week Perez Jimenez was
named in a paternity suit en-
tered In a Miami court.
Miss Ilona Marta Lorenz, 20,
contends the former dictator Is
the father Of her l7-month-old
child. and Is suing for support.
After failing in two previous
counts to obtain IS million
from Perez Jimenez. she OBJ
tanned a temporary court order
last week from a Miami Judge
forbidding the Venezuelan to
See PEREZ, Page A-3