2 BACKGROUND 2. The instant case was filed with the Court by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Commission” or “the Inter-American Commission”) in its application of June 7, 1999. On November 11, 1999 the Court delivered its judgment on the merits of the case, in which it decided: unanimously, 1. To take note of the acknowledgement by the State of Venezuela of the facts mentioned in the application and [to] declare that the dispute about these has ceased. 2. To take note, also, of the acknowledgement of responsibility by the State of Venezuela and, in accordance with the terms of this acknowledgement, [to] declare that the State violated the rights protected by Articles 4(1), 5, 7, 8(1), 25(1), 25(2)(a) [and] 27(3), in relation to Articles 1(1) and 2 of the American Convention on Human Rights, of the persons cited in paragraph 1 of this judgment, and in the terms established herein. 3. To take note, also, of the declaration of the State of Venezuela, with regard to the investigations initiated in order to identify, prosecute and punish those responsible for the facts mentioned in the application, and urge the State to continue them. 4. To initiate the procedure on reparations and costs and [to] authorize the President to adopt the necessary procedural measures. III PROCEEDINGS DURING THE REPARATIONS STAGE 3. On November 12, 1999 the President of the Court (hereinafter “the President”), pursuant to the provisions of operative paragraph four of the judgment on the merits, decided: 1. To grant the representatives of the victims or, where appropriate, their next of kin, up to January 12, 2000 to file their arguments and evidence to determine reparations and costs. 2. To instruct the Secretariat of the Court, once the term mentioned in the previous paragraph has expired, to forward all the briefs and evidence received to InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights. 3. To grant the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights two months, from the date when the aforementioned briefs and evidence are received, to submit its observations on reparations and legal costs. 4. To instruct the Secretariat of the Court, once the term mentioned in the previous operative paragraph has expired, to forward to the State of Venezuela all the briefs and evidence submitted. 5. To grant the State of Venezuela two months, from the date the briefs and evidence mentioned in the previous operative paragraph are received, to file its observations and evidence for determination of reparations and legal costs in the instant case. 6. To summon the representatives of the victims or, where appropriate, their next of kin, as well as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the State of Venezuela, once the written stage of the proceedings has been completed, to a public hearing, on a date that will be notified at the appropriate time.