The events of the case relate to the forced disappearance of Oscar José Blanco Romero, Roberto Javier Hernández Paz and José Francisco Rivas Fernández, in December 1999, perpetrated by military forces. The acts occurred during a state of emergency as decreed by National Congress due to a natural disaster caused by heavy rains and landslides, which affected some of the country’s regions.

Faced with the accusation of these acts, the State acknowledged responsibility that resulted in reparations and costs proceedings in which the State was obliged to investigate the events, identify, try and punish the perpetrators, as well as locating the whereabouts of the victims and pay a fair compensation to the relatives of the deceased.