By Thelma Mejía
TEGUCIGALPA, Aug 6 1998 (IPS)

The United States suspended four million dollars in aid to the Honduran Judicial Power in retaliation for the 10-year prison sentence passed on a US murderer who claimed he killed in self-defence.

The Honduran verdict angered a group of senators in Washington, said US embassy spokesman in Honduras, Marti Estell, and the ruling was followed by the announcement this aid – aimed for the training of legal officials – would be frozen.

Estell said Wednesday “the senators mistrust the way in which the justice system works in Honduras” and they “want to see substantial improvements.” The suspension of aid “must not be seen as bribery or the exertion of pressure by the United States,” he said.

“We don’t pressurise anyone. We respect the independence of other countries and, even if the Executive Power does not share the stance of members of congress, they are free to decide on the freezing of this aid” because the “powers are indepent” in Washington, he said.

In Honduran political circles, the US decision was interpreted as “fresh blackmail” in an effort to gain the freedom of Patrick Valle, sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing a Honduran, Luis Roberto Ramirez, five years ago.

Valle, who visited Honduras to administer family property valued at 200 million dollars, had confrontations with landowners who, apparently, aimed to steal land from him and who even set ambushes for him.

The US citizen claimed he had killed Ramirez in self defence during one of these episodes, after being threatened by the Honduran in the Talanga valley, in the centre of the country.

“All the evidence proves my action was in self defence, but the justice system in this country is so corrupt that they have bought a couple of magistrates to push me under and steal my land off me,” said Valle Thursday.

The case attracted the big television channels in the United States, including ABC, which sent a journalist to Tegucigalpa to investigate the situation and present an in-depth report entitled “Strange Justice.”

The report, broadcast again last week on television in Tegucigalpa, shows the president of the Supreme Court himself, Armando Avila, admitting the law in this country is often applied “under the influence of Mr. Money.”

Avila recognised the reigning impunity due to oversights by the Judicial Power and talked of his efforts to cleanse the system and put an end to the string-pulling and delays in sentencing – the reason behind so many prisoners being in prison without having gone to trial.

After seeing the broadcast, the president of the Supreme Court claimed he had been misrepresented.

A Tegucigalpa court decided to sentence Valle to ten years in prison for homicide 24 hours after the programme was broadcast.

Avila stated Thursday the sentence “had already been decided and this report had had absolutely no influence on the ruling,” as Valle “is guilty of murder and was sent to prison.”

“I am going to take action against that television company for misrepresenting my statements. I want to make it clear we are not going to accept blackmail nor any type of pressure from the United States to bend the law in favour of certain people,” he said.

“This fresh humilliation by the United States is beyond the pale, but we are not going to kneel down to a country which, even if it is a power, has no reason to treat an ally in such a manner and should respect its sovereignty and laws,” said Avila.

Vicepresident of Honduras, Gladys Caballero, announced foreign journalists would be banned from entering national prisons for them “to speak to inmates and show how they live in these centres.”

“The Valle case is pure manipulation and a campaign by the US television channels against Honduran justice,” she stated.

The US embassy in Tegucigalpa denied the suspension of aid had been carried out in order to pressurise, but criticised the performance of the Honduran courts calling for an appeal against Valle’s sentence.

This is the second diplomatic clash between Honduras and the United States so far this year. The first, four months ago, was due to the deportation of undocumented Honduran immigrants and economic sanctions imposed by Washington over violations of royalty and intellectual property laws.

Groups opposed to US international policy add grist to the mill, but President Carlos Flores called for “prudence” Thursday not to upset the “excellent” bilateral relations.

Honduras states it has been an “unconditional” ally of the United States for decades and regrets Washington should be threatening the “cordiality.”

The US government has been questioning management of Honduran justice for several years.

The Valle case and complaints to the Attorney General’s office over the impunity of corrupt judges had put the judicial power on the pillory – the Supreme Court started sacking judges for corruption and accepting bribes this week.

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