e) On October 1, 2011, after leaving his house, Mr. Galdámez realized that a car was
following him. On his way to the radio station where he works he was able to evade
this vehicle. The police agent responsible for his safety also observed the incident,
but did not call a patrol to provide protection to him. The beneficiary opted to
denounce the fact during the radio show for which he works;
f) On October 16, 2011, the beneficiary’s son was stopped by a police car with six
policemen. One of them hit him in the face and asked him for his belongings,
threatening him with a gun. Mr. Galdámez arrived with a police agent; however no
investigation was carried out to clarify the reason for the detention or the attack
suffered;
g) On October 22, 2011, Mr. Galdámez’s car was broken into, and some implements
used in his work as a journalist were stolen. This was reported to the police;
however, here again no steps were taken;
h) On November 1, 2011, the beneficiary received two telephone calls in which he
received death threats. On November 14, he received a text message with the same
threatening characteristics;
i)
On November 24, 2011, when she reached her home, the beneficiary Wendy
Orellana Molina realized that two men with their faces covered were approaching her
on a motorcycle without license plates; however, seconds later they disappeared
rapidly. The police agent assigned to watch over the Galdámez family did not notice
this incident because he was watching television on the porch outside the house;
j)
On December 28, 2011, Wendy Orellana Molina was intercepted by two men driving
a truck. They made her get out of the car, took her belongings, used profane
language when addressing her, and left;
k) On February 10, 2012, Mr. Galdámez received a text messages and telephone calls
with death threats. Also, on February 13, 14, 16 and 17, 2012, he was followed after
leaving work. Mr. Galdámez expressed his concern, indicating that he felt “at death’s
door, [he did] not know what to do with so many threats and, here, the police [were]
the ones that [were] killing people and […] committing contract killings,” and
l)
Mr. Galdámez was obliged to take measures of protection for his family; they
included Ms. Orellana Molina travelling temporarily to the United States, and one son
going to Spain and another to the United States in order to get away from the
threats to their father.
10.
The Inter-American Commission noted “the possible participation of State agents in
the events described by the representatives and the lack of information from the State that
it had taken serious measures to determine reliably those responsible for these incidents
and their links with the State’s security agencies.” In addition, it observed “with concern
that, despite the beneficiaries’ situation of risk and the new incidents reported by the
representatives, the beneficiaries do not have protection personnel on a permanent basis,
[and] the police presence in these circumstances is insufficient.”
The State did not refer specifically to the threats and the incidents reported by the
11.
representatives in which members of the family were followed.
5