The only drama was the delay. For days the People's Tribunal in Managua endlessly discussed a verdict, irritating the tired defendant, his lawyers and the impatient international press corps. And when the tribunal finally handed down its ruling in the case of Eugene Hasenfus late last week, there were no surprises. Since the opening of the trial on Oct. 20, the outcome had never been in doubt. Ample evidence, and Hasenfus' own admission, confirmed that the former Marine had been delivering weapons to the U.S.-backed contras when his C-123K cargo plane was downed over Nicaragua on Oct. 5. For that act, Hasenfus was found guilty of terrorism, illicit association and violation of public security. He received a 30-year sentence, the maximum penalty under Nicaraguan law, and will seek an appeal.
With the verdict a foregone conclusion, attention had long since turned to a far more intriguing question: What will become of Hasenfus? Before the trial began, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega hinted that the hapless gunrunner might be pardoned and released by Christmas. But since then some Sandinista militants and officials have taken a tougher stance. Last week Ortega seemed prepared to sidestep the issue and dump the problem of Hasenfus' future on Washington. In an interview with Mexican reporters, Ortega said he was waiting to see if the Reagan Administration would acknowledge responsibility for Hasenfus and his aborted mission.
If Hasenfus' release depends on such an admission, the mercenary may find himself occupying a Nicaraguan prison cell for a long time. U.S. officials continue to deny any involvement in the private arms pipeline that sprang up in the two years after Congress cut off military aid to the rebels. Moreover, the Administration shows little sign of seeking accommodation with the Sandinistas. After intensive lobbying last spring, it persuaded Congress to resume direct aid to the contras. Two weeks ago the first planeloads of military supplies, bought with funds from a $100 million aid package, began flowing to the rebels via the Aguacate military base in Honduras.
Secretary of State George Shultz went on the road last week to defend American policy toward Nicaragua. During a speech in Guatemala before the 16th General Assembly of the Organization of American States, he offered little hope for a negotiated settlement. "Foreign intervention in the form of alien ideologies and foreign cadres -- from Cuba, the Soviet Union, East Germany, North Korea, Viet Nam and Libya -- is at this very moment promoting instability and violence in Central America," said Shultz. "The only road to peace and stability is to eliminate that alien intervention." He asserted that "there would be a great sigh of relief in all of Latin America" if a new, more democratic government were installed in Managua.