54 relevant judicial proceeding, thus causing the violations in this case to remain unpunished.” In this regard, they noted that “[i]t is evident that being an environmentalist in Honduras entails high risk. An environmentalist’s work becomes increasingly dangerous every day. The impunity surrounding the case of Kawas opened the door to a context of violence targeting environmentalists, with the State failing to effectively take preventive and investigative measures, in addition to the judicial officers’ failure to act on their own motion.” The representatives requested the Court that “[the victims] be allowed full access and recognized the standing to act at all procedural stages, in accordance with domestic law and the American Convention[,] [that the] outcome of the investigation [be] made publicly known and widely publicized in order that it is known by the Honduran society, [and that] the State of Honduras be ordered to refrain from resorting to procedural obstacles such as amnesty, the statute of limitations or any other mechanism intended to promote the exclusion of liability of those involved in the facts.” 189. In Chapter VII of this Judgment, the Court established that about 14 years have elapsed since Mrs. Blanca Jeannette Kawas-Fernández was deprived of her life. It was further established that the body of evidence contains sufficient elements indicating that state agents were involved in these events. The measures taken domestically in this regard have not amounted to an effective recourse to guarantee true access to justice for the next of kin of Mrs. Blanca Jeannette Kawas-Fernández within a reasonable period of time, including the clarification of the facts of her murder, the investigation of the acts of obstruction, and, as the case may be, the punishment of all persons responsible and reparation of the violations (supra paras. 117 and 118). 190. The Court repeats that the State is required to fight such impunity by all means available, as impunity fosters the chronic repetition of human rights violations and renders victims -who have a right to know the truth of the facts- completely defenseless.224 The acknowledgment and exercise of the right to know the truth in a specific situation represent a means of reparation. Therefore, in the instant case, the right to know the truth creates in the victims a legitimate expectation that must be satisfied by the State.225 The guarantee obligation enshrined in Article 1(1) of the American Convention entails the duty of the States Parties to the Convention to organize the governmental apparatus and, in general, all the structures through which public authority is exercised in a manner such that they may ensure, in legal terms, the free and full exercise of human rights.226 191. Considering the above, as well as the Court’s case law,227 the Court orders that the State is to effectively conduct the criminal proceedings that are currently pending in connection with both the murder of Mrs. Blanca Jeannette Kawas and the hindering of the 224 Cf. Case of Velásquez-Rodríguez. Merits, supra note 17, para. 174; Case of La Rochela Massacre, Merits, Reparations and Costs, supra note 87, para. 289; and Case of Heliodoro-Portugal. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs, supra note 123, para. 244. 225 Cf. Case of Velásquez-Rodríguez. Merits, supra note 17, para. 181; Case of Heliodoro-Portugal. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs, supra note 123, para. 244; and Case of Tiu Tojin. Merits, Reparations and Costs, supra note 96, para. 103. 226 Cf. Velásquez-Rodríguez. Merits, supra note 17, para. 166; Case of Ríos et al. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs, supra note 10, para. 137, and Case of Perozo et al. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs, supra note 10, para. 149. 227 Cf. Case of Baldeón-García v. Perú. Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of April 6, 2006. Series C No. 147, para. 199; Case of Ríos et al. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs, supra note 10, para. 404; and Case of Perozo et al. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs, supra note 10, para. 414.