29. On May 16, 1997, at around 9.30 a.m., Marco Bienvenido Palma Mendoza, 45 years of age, was traveling in his car with his son Luis Palma Bravo, 11 years old at the time, in the canton of Manta, province of Manabi. While they were driving by the Ecuadorian Professional Training Service (hereinafter “SECAP”), his vehicle was intercepted by a white double cabin pickup truck, without license plates. 17 Heavily armed men wearing ski masks got out of the van and put Mr. Palma Mendoza in the truck, leaving for an unknown destination.18 30. Before 9:30 a.m. that day, Manuel Armijos, a SECAP security guard, had approached the white truck that was parked outside the establishment to find out what it was doing there. One of the men in the van went up to him before he reached the vehicle and showed him an identity card, identifying himself as a member of the “intelligence force” and telling him not to worry.19 As was learned subsequently (infra para. 42), the men who took Mr. Palma Mendoza were part of the security team of the companies owned by the Cevallos family, and two of them were former members of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces (hereinafter “FAE”).20 2. Investigation of the facts, discovery of Mr. Palma Mendoza’s body and its subsequent identification 31. On May 16, 1997, after his father had been taken away, Luis Palma Bravo returned home and told his mother what had happened.21 That same day, Lidia Bravo, Mr. Palma’s companion, together with family members, friends and neighbors, searched for her companion,22 and went to SECAP, where they were told that those who had taken Mr. Palma Mendoza had identified themselves as “military intelligence.”23 She also looked for him on 17 Cf. Complaint filed by Lidia Bravo before the XIth Criminal Judge of Manabi on May 17, 1997 (file of appendices to the Admissibility and Merits Report, appendix 3, folio 19), and judgment delivered by the Criminal Court of Manabi, Manta, on March 19, 2001, in criminal case No. 18-2001 (file of appendices to the Admissibility and Merits Report, appendix 2, folios 10 to 17). 18 Cf. Complaint filed by Lidia Bravo before the Criminal Judge of Manabi on May 17, 1997, folio 19; testimony provided by Luis Palma Bravo before the XIth Criminal Judge of Manabi on April 5, 2000 (file of appendices to the Admissibility and Merits Report, appendix 7, folio 43), and statement made Luis Palma Bravo before the Court during the public hearing held on March 1, 2012, and judgment delivered by the Criminal Court of Manabi, Manta, on March 19, 2001, folios 10 to 17. 19 Cf. Interview of May 23, 1997, with Manuel Armijos contained in police report No. 97-218-OID-MM-PREL, signed by investigating agent Bonifacio Lino Caicedo (file of attachments to the pleadings and motions brief, attachment 1, folio 1384). 20 Cf. Certification of “entry into service and discharge” issued on January 16, 1996, by the head of the Administrative Department of the FAE Personnel Directorate, in response to the request of Freddy Simón Contreras Luna (file of attachments to the answering brief, attachment 8, folio 1913); certification of “entry into service and discharge” issued on May 6, 1996, by the head of the Administrative Department of the FAE Personnel Directorate, in response to the request by Stanley Domínguez (file of attachments to the answering brief, attachment 8, folio 1911), and decision of the Ministry of National Defense, issued by the head of Personnel, of July 30, 1998, with regard to Stanley Domínguez (file of attachments to the answering brief, attachment 8, folio 1912). 21 Cf. Statement made by Luis Palma Bravo before the XIth Criminal Judge of Manabi on April 5, 2000, folio 43; court order to investigate an alleged crime issued by the XIth Criminal Judge of Manabi on July 1, 1997 (file of appendices to the Admissibility and Merits Report, appendix 16, folios 71 and 72), and affidavit prepared by Pablo Palma Pico on February 9, 2012 (file of preliminary objection, merits, reparations and costs, tome I, folios 397 to 400. 22 Cf. Complaint filed by Lidia Bravo on May 17, 1997, folio 19, court order to investigate an alleged crime issued by the XIth Criminal Judge of Manabí on July 1, 1997, folios 71 and 71; affidavit prepared by Pablo Palma Pico, folios 397 to 400, and statement made by Lidia Bravo before the Court during the public hearing held on March 1, 2012. 23 Cf. Statement made by Lidia Bravo before the Court. 10