The facts of the case refer to the massacre of 268 people in July 1982. The majority were members of the Mayan indigenous community of Plan de Sánchez, executed by members of the Guatemalan military, and the acts remained in impunity due to the lack of an effective investigation. After these events, the families of the victims and survivors of the massacre were subject to acts of intimidation and discrimination.

The IA Court placed the events of the case in the context of the internal armed conflict that occurred in Guatemala between 1962 and 1996, during which the “National Security Doctrine” was applied. The Mayan people were considered to be the “internal enemy.”

The State acknowledged complete international responsibility for the aforementioned acts.