9 the information provided by the State on the documentary evidence pending submission, by April 16, 2004, at the latest. 50. On April 14, 2004, on the instructions of the President and pursuant to Article 44(2) of the Rules of Procedure, the Secretariat requested the State to present specific documentation as helpful evidence on possible reparations and costs by May 7, 2004, at the latest. 51. On April 16, 2004, the Commission submitted its comments on the submission by the State of the pending documentary evidence, described by the Inter-American Commission in paragraph 68 of the application (supra paras. 19, 21, 45, 46, 48 and 49). In this regard, the Commission requested that Colombia’s failure to comply should be noted “and that this affected the equality of arms in the proceeding and the ability of the Inter-American Commission […] to present and respond to arguments in the instant case.” 52. On April 21 and 22, 2004, the Court received the statements of the witnesses and the report of the expert witness proposed by the Inter-American Commission, in a public hearing on merits and possible reparations and costs. The Court also heard the final oral arguments of the Inter-American Commission and the State. There appeared before the Court: for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Susana Villarán de la Puente, delegate Santiago A. Canton, delegate Verónica Gómez, legal adviser Lilly Ching, legal adviser Carlos Rodríguez Mejía, assistant Luz Marina Monzón, assistant Viviana Krsticevic, assistant Roxanna Altholz, assistant, and Paulina Vega González, assistant for the State of Colombia: Luz Marina Gil García, agent Witnesses proposed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Salomón Flórez Contreras Sandra Belinda Montero Fuentes Jorge Corzo Viviescas Alejandro Flórez Pérez Wilmar Rodríguez Quintero, and Luz Marina Pinzón Reyes Expert witness proposed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Carlos Martín Beristain