16 Currently he works and is preparing his thesis for a licentiate degree in Anthropology. His relationship with Mr. Carpio Nicolle was that of a grandchild towards its grandfather. He began working in the UCN, distributing propaganda among the youth of the country. He was in the caravan that accompanied Mr. Carpio Nicolle on July 3, 1993; he was responsible for organizing the youth in the different departments that the delegation would visit, and also in charge of sound, lighting and the distribution of party propaganda material. During the attack, men with balaclava helmets took the witness and Mr. Rivas González from the van and began to search them. He heard one of the men say “they are heavily armed” and saw how they shot Mr. Rivas González pointblank. At the same time he saw Mr. Ávila Guzmán, who was less than two steps away from him, fall; he felt something hot hit his right leg and cried out begging them not to throw any more stones. In reaction, he threw himself on the ground and only saw boots and another car. Then he heard a voice that cried out very clearly: “that’s him, that’s Jorge Carpio, kill him.” He heard more shots and shouts. Several hooded men approached Mr. Ávila Guzmán, kicked him and moved him. Then they kicked the witness, who was crying in fright. The hooded men asked him for the second time if he was armed; he replied that he was not and asked for help. The men did not reply and again shot at the witness on the ground. He was able to see the hooded man from his knees downwards and observed his military-type boots. Something exploded in front of his face and blinded him momentarily. He felt his face spattered with something hot and only heard a strong buzzing sound. For a time, he remained lying in the rain and he became aware that a vehicle had been obliged to stop. The hooded men interrogated the passengers of this vehicle. He heard a discussion, more shots and people shouting and crying. Then the hooded men disappeared and he asked the people in that vehicle for help. A young man helped him get up and placed him in the pickup; the young man said they could not take the witness with them because those who had been traveling in the vehicle had also been injured. Very soon the firemen appeared and gave him first aid. They told him that Mr. Ávila Guzmán and Mr. Rivas González were dead. He was transferred to the Chichicastenango hospital and then to the Santa Cruz del Quiché military hospital in a special military vehicle, in which an officer asked him various questions. As a result of the incident he had a fracture in his right leg from a 38 mm. caliber bullet. He has three scars in his back from a bullet that grazed him when he threw himself on the ground. On account of this incident, he was hospitalized for 15 days and convalescing at home for another 15 days. During this time, he was absent from school. He had to undergo therapy to regenerate the injured nerves and muscles in his right leg. The therapy was the most painful part. Even today, his leg has not recovered totally, and some parts of his foot are still “damaged.”