purpose. When Flores Ortiz arrived at the morgue for the body, the soldiers 37 told her to take
“that thug.” 38
C. Facts about the family of Herminio Deras García
48.
At the time Deras García died, his family consisted of: (i) his wife, Otilia Flores Ortiz; 39
(ii) his children, Herminio and Lorena Deras Flores; (iii) his parents, Eustaquia García
Alvarado 40 and Domingo Deras Henríquez; 41 (iv) his siblings, Alba Luz Deras García, Irma
Isabel Deras García, Consuelo Deras García, Héctor García 42 and Luis Rolando Deras García,
and (v) his nephews and niece, cousin, and sister- and brothers-in-law, José Herminio
García, 43 Sandra Ivón Hernández Deras, Marlon Javier García Barahona, Marlen García
Pineda, 44 Julio Cesar Chavarría Banegas, 45 Elba Flores Ortiz and Cristóbal Hernández Pérez.
49.
Alba Deras García had traveled to Romania in 1975 to study. When she completed her
studies, she was unable to return to Honduras because of the political situation in the country
and the persecution against her family, so she lived in Cuba until her return to Honduras in
1993. 46 She had to leave the country again, however, because of the continued political
intolerance in Honduras. Alba Deras García decided to return to Honduras in the year 2000
37
Otilia Flores said: “they themselves, the soldiers, took [Deras García’s body to the Deras Flores family
home]. They were going to dump him onto the floor, I told them please to wait for me, and ran and spread a plastic
sheet on the sofa so they could put him there.” Statement by Otilia Flores Ortiz, supra.
38
Herminio Deras Flores stated, “[t]he day my father died in 1983, I remember that my mother woke me up
and told us, my sister and me, ‘...get up, they have killed your father.’ My mother was very upset and crying, and
also she was angry, furious. I felt like a zombie; I watched everything happening around me, but I felt nothing.”
“[W]e drove to the morgue, which I think was at the hospital. I remember there I saw my father in the back part of
a pickup, with his shirt covered in blood. He was lying down and there were police all around the car. My mother was
crying. I remember there was a man dressed in a police uniform who said something like “you’re finally gone, you
pig.” The image will torment me for the rest of my life.” Statement by Herminio Deras Flores, May 2, 2022 (evidence
file, folios 2371 and 2372).
39
This person is identified in the Report on the Merits as “Otilia Flores.” The Court finds, however, that her
name is consistent with the evidence submitted by the representatives. Cf. Verified birth certificate of Otilia Flores
Ortiz (evidence file, folio 2001).
40
This person is identified in the Report on the Merits as “María Eustaquia García.” The Court finds, however,
that her name is consistent with the evidence submitted by the representatives. Cf. Verified death certificate of
Eustaquia García Alvarado (evidence file, folio 2015).
41
This person is identified in the Report on the Merits as “Domingo Deras.” The Court finds, however, that her
name is consistent with the evidence submitted by the representatives. Cf. Verified death certificate of Domingo
Deras Henríquez (evidence file, folio 2014).
42
Some of the briefs in the case file name “Héctor Deras García,” but his birth certificate and death certificate
say only “Héctor García.” Cf. Verified birth certificate of Héctor García (evidence file, folios 2005 and 2006), and
death certificate of Héctor García (evidence file, folio 2007).
43
This person is identified in the Report on the Merits as “José Herminio Deras García” or “José Herminio Deras
Barahona.” The Court finds, however, that his name is consistent with the evidence submitted by the representatives.
Cf. Proxy for representation issued by Herminio García (evidence file, folio 1821).
44
This person is identified in the Report on the Merits as “Marlen García.” The Court finds, however, that her
name is consistent with the evidence submitted by the representatives. Cf. Verified birth certificate of Marlen García
Pineda (evidence file, folio 2009).
45
This person is identified in the Report on the Merits as “Julio Cesar Chavarría Benegas” or “Julio Cesar
Chavarría Banegas.” The Court finds, however, that his name is consistent with the evidence submitted by the
representatives. Cf. Verified birth certificate of Julio Cesar Chavarría Banegas (evidence file, folio 2012).
46
Alba Deras stated, in this regard: “[I] left Honduras to study in Romania in 1975. Afterward I married a
Cuban, and in 1981 I went to Cuba to live […] I thought about returning to Honduras during those years, after I
finished my studies, but there was a very terrible situation of repression against my family, so that a safe return
would be impossible. I could not even go for a visit for many years; the first time I went back for a visit after I left
in 1975 was 18 years later, in 1993, and with great fear […] I had not gone before that because my family was
always under threat. My own family told me that I could not go back because it was too dangerous, especially because
I had lived in Cuba and that meant even more stigma.” Statement by Alba Luz Deras García, supra (evidence file,
folio 2363).