I. INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE AND PURPOSE OF THE DISPUTE ......................................... 3 II. PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT .................................................................................. 4 III. JURISDICTION ............................................................................................................... 6 IV. PRELIMINARY OBJECTION .............................................................................................. 7 A. Objection based on failure to exhaust domestic remedies ................................................... 7 A.1. Arguments of the parties and observations of the Commission...................................... 7 A.2. Considerations of the Court ...................................................................................... 7 V. PRIOR CONSIDERATION ................................................................................................... 8 A. Determination of the presumed victims in this case ............................................................ 8 A.1. Arguments of the parties and observations of the Commission...................................... 8 A.2. Considerations of the Court ...................................................................................... 9 VI. EVIDENCE ...................................................................................................................... 10 A. Admissibility of the documentary evidence .......................................................................10 B. Admissibility of the testimonial and expert evidence ..........................................................11 VII. FACTS .......................................................................................................................... 11 A. The HIV/AIDS situation in Guatemala ..............................................................................11 A.1. General information on HIV/AIDS ................................................................................11 A.2. Laws enacted to treat HIV/AIDS in Guatemala ..............................................................13 A.3. Other measures adopted to treat HIV/AIDS in Guatemala ...............................................16 B. The presumed victims and their next of kin ......................................................................18 C. Actions and appeals filed by the presumed victims ............................................................18 C.1. Letters addressed to the President and other authorities ................................................18 C.2. Application for amparo before the Constitutional Court ...................................................19 VIII. MERITS....................................................................................................................... 21 VIII-1 RIGHT TO HEALTH, TO PERSONAL INTEGRITY AND TO LIFE IN RELATION TO THE OBLIGATIONS TO RESPECT AND ENSURE RIGHTS (ARTICLES 26, 4, 5 AND 1(1) OF THE AMERICAN CONVENTION) ................................................................................................... 22 A. Arguments of the Commission and the parties ..................................................................22 B. Considerations of the Court ............................................................................................24 B.1. The justiciability of economic, social, cultural and environmental rights ............................26 B.2. The right to health as an autonomous and justiciable right .............................................34 B.3. The content of the right to health ................................................................................36 B.4. The violation of the right to health ...............................................................................42 B.5. The violation of the rights to life and to personal integrity...............................................53 VIII-2 RIGHT TO JUDICIAL GUARANTEES AND TO JUDICIAL PROTECTION IN RELATION TO THE OBLIGATIONS TO RESPECT AND TO ENSURE THE RIGHTS (ARTICLES 8, 25 AND 1(1) OF THE AMERICAN CONVENTION) ............................................................................................ 58 A. Arguments of the Commission and the parties ..................................................................58 B. Considerations of the Court ............................................................................................59 VIII-3 RIGHT TO PERSONAL INTEGRITY OF THE NEXT OF KIN OF THE VICTIMS (ARTICLES 5 AND 1(1) OF THE AMERICAN CONVENTION) ....................................................................... 65 A. Arguments of the parties and of the Commission ..............................................................65 B. Considerations of the Court ............................................................................................65 IX. REPARATIONS (APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 63(1) OF THE AMERICAN CONVENTION) .... 68 A. Injured party................................................................................................................69 B. Measures of rehabilitation and satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition ........................69 C. Compensation ..............................................................................................................76 D. Reimbursement of expenses to the Legal Assistance Fund .................................................79 E. Method of compliance with the payments ordered .............................................................79 X. OPERATIVE PARAGRAPHS ............................................................................................... 80 ANEXO 1. LIST OF PRESUMED VICTIMS SUBMITTED BY IACHR ........................................... 83 ANEXO 2. LIST OF VICTIMS AND THEIR NEXT OF KIN ......................................................... 88 ANEXO 3. INDIVIDUALIZATION OF THE VICTIMS AND THEIR NEXT OF KIN ....................... 90 2