B.4. Analysis of the recognition of responsibility
25. The State’s recognition is an acquiescence to all the facts, alleged violations, and most of
the reparations requested by the Inter-American Commission in its Report on the Merits and by
the representatives in their pleadings and motions brief.
26. This Court takes a very positive view of the broad acceptance of responsibility offered by
Honduras and the good will and commitment the State expressed for fully redressing the victims
for violations in the instant case. The Court finds that the recognition of international responsibility
makes a positive and essential contribution to the development of these proceedings and the
observance of the principles that inspire the Convention, as well as to the victims’ needs for
reparation. 12 The State’s acquiescence has full legal effects, pursuant to articles 62 and 64 of the
Rules of Procedure of the Court, and holds considerable symbolic value for preventing the
recurrence of similar incidents, especially in view of the setting in which they took place. Owing
to the comprehensive acknowledgment made by the State, the Court considers that the legal
dispute in this case has ceased with regard to the facts, the law, and the need to adopt measures
of reparation.
27. Taking into account the seriousness of the facts and violations acknowledged by the State
and the petition of the representatives and the Commission, the Court is compelled to deliver a
judgment that establishes the facts of the case, based on evidence produced during the
proceedings before this Court and the State’s acceptance thereof, as this will contribute to making
redress to the victims and thus prevent similar events from occurring in the future and, in short,
to meeting the objectives of the inter-American human rights jurisdiction. 13
28. The Court does not find it appropriate at this time to enter into a detailed discussion of the
human rights violations that took place in injury of Deras García and his family, because these
facts were expressly acknowledged by the State in its broad recognition of international
responsibility, and because the claims concerning the particular rights argued and acknowledged
in the instant case have already been extensively developed in the case law of the Inter-American
Court. However, in view of the petition by the representatives and the Commission, and because
this judgment itself can serve as a form of reparation, the Court does find it necessary to expound
on its conclusions regarding the violations that have been alleged and acknowledged, in light of
the facts of the case.
29. The Court also sees the need to offer its opinion on each of the measures of reparation,
based on the State’s acceptance of responsibility.
30. Finally, the Court would recall that the State raised two preliminary objections in its
answering brief. 14 In view of the scope of the State’s recognition of responsibility, however, it is
the view of the Court that Honduras has withdrawn these objections, and therefore it will not rule
on them.
12
Cf. Case of Benavides Cevallos v. Ecuador. Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of June 19, 1998. Series
C No. 38, para. 57, and Case of Guevara Díaz v. Costa Rica, supra, para. 22.
13
Cf. Case of Tiu Tojín v. Guatemala. Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of November 26, 2008. Series
C No. 190, para. 26, and Case of Digna Ochoa et al. v. Mexico. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs.
Judgment of November 25, 2021. Series C No. 447, para. 25.
14
The two preliminary objections lodged by the State were: (a) legal review of [R]eport on [M]erits No. 158/19
concerning submission of the case to the contentious jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court,” and (b) “partial lack
of jurisdiction due to ratione temporis.”