The facts of the case concern the murder of Mr. Pacheco León on November 23, 2001, during his campaign to be elected to the National Congress of Honduras, and the impunity surrounding this case.

Pacheco León was affiliated with the National Party of Honduras. As the candidate who received the most votes in the primary elections of the Department of Valle, he became a candidate for national congress in the November 2001 elections. He was murdered as he entered his home two days before the election. On the election that took place on November 25, 2001, the candidacy that would have been his won the seat.

The Inter-American Court sentence developed standards around due diligence in investigations, especially around the identification of victims, handling of crime scenes, follow-up of logical lines of investigation, and evidence of authorship. On the other hand, the Inter-American Court also analyzed the state’s compliance around the right to life and political rights.