The area was surrounded to the west by “Cerro El Chingo” and, on the east, by the “Cerro La Cruz.”87 88. At the end of November or in early December 1981, soldiers told a storekeeper from El Mozote village, named Marcos Díaz, that he should stock up on supplies and advise the population to gather in the village, because those that were in the village would be safe, but those who had dispersed would be killed.88 Around the first week of December 1981, this person spread the warning of the members of the Armed Forces, that a large-scale operation would soon be launched in the area; therefore many inhabitants of areas adjacent to El Mozote abandoned their homes and gathered in “El Llano” or village center, especially in the home and store of Marcos Díaz.89 89. On December 10, 1981, troops of the different companies of Atlacatl BIRI converged on the village of El Mozote, following bombardments perpetrated by the Salvadoran Air Force,90 and took control of the population of the area. When the soldiers reached the village they were accompanied by several people captured in the vicinity, who had refused to leave their homes. 91 The soldiers made people come out of their homes, including those gathered in the house and store of Marcos Díaz, forcing them to lie face down on the ground in order to question them about guerrilla presence in the area.92 The people were stripped of their belongings and ordered to return to their homes and lock themselves in, with the threat that they should “not even poke their nose out,” or they would be shot.93 87 Cf. Record of judicial inspection in the village of El Mozote, jurisdiction of Meanguera, department of Morazán, on May 27, 1992 (evidence file, tome III, annex 23 to the submission of the case, folio 1961), and Archeological report, Village of El Mozote, Site 1, prepared by the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF), December 1992 (evidence file, tome IV, annex 23 to the submission of the case, folio 2927). 88 Cf. Sworn statement made by Rufina Amaya Vda. de Márquez before the Oficina de Tutela Legal del Arzobispado on October 10, 1990 (evidence file, tome II, annex 20 to the submission of the case, folio 1573), and Victim statement made by Rufina Amaya before the Second First Instance Court of San Francisco Gotera on March 11, 1991 (evidence file, tome III, annex 23 to the submission of the case, folio 1747). 89 Cf. Sworn statement made by Rufina Amaya Vda. de Márquez before the Oficina de Tutela Legal del Arzobispado on October 10, 1990 (evidence file, tome II, annex 20 to the submission of the case, folio 1573); Victim statement made by Rufina Amaya before the Second First Instance Court of San Francisco Gotera on March 11, 1991 (evidence file, tome III, annex 23 to the submission of the case, folio 1747); Victim statement made by María Teófila Pereira before the Second First Instance Court of San Francisco Gotera on February 18, 1991 (evidence file, tome III, annex 23 to the submission of the case, folio 1731), and Statement made by María Dorila Márquez de Márquez before the Inter-American Court during the public hearing held on April 23, 2012. 90 Cf. Sworn statement made by Rufina Amaya Vda. de Márquez before the Oficina de Tutela Legal del Arzobispado on October 10, 1990 (evidence file, tome II, annex 20 to the submission of the case, folio 1573). 91 Cf. Sworn statement made by Rufina Amaya Vda. de Márquez before the Oficina de Tutela Legal del Arzobispado on October 10, 1990 (evidence file, tome II, annex 20 to the submission of the case, folio 1574), and Victim statement made by Rufina Amaya before the Second First Instance Court of San Francisco Gotera on March 11, 1991 (evidence file, tome III, annex 23 to the submission of the case, folio 1745). 92 Cf. Sworn statement made by Rufina Amaya Vda. de Márquez before the Oficina de Tutela Legal del Arzobispado on October 10, 1990 (evidence file, tome II, annex 20 to the submission of the case, folio 1574); Witness statement made by Rufina Amaya before the Second First Instance Court of San Francisco Gotera on October 30, 1990 (evidence file, tome III, annex 23 to the submission of the case, folio 1660); Victim statement made by Rufina Amaya before the Second First Instance Court of San Francisco Gotera on March 11, 1991 (evidence file, tome III, annex 23 to the submission of the case, folio 1745), e Report of the Truth Commission for El Salvador, From madness to hope: the 12-year war in El Salvador, 1992-1993 (evidence file, tome II, annex 1 to the submission of the case, folio 1196). 93 Cf. Sworn statement made by Rufina Amaya Vda. de Márquez before the Oficina de Tutela Legal del Arzobispado on October 10, 1990 (evidence file, tome II, annex 20 to the submission of the case, folio 1574); Witness statement made by Rufina Amaya before the Second First Instance Court of San Francisco Gotera on October 30, 1990 (evidence file, tome III, annex 23 to the submission of the case, folio 1660); Victim statement made by Rufina Amaya before the Second First Instance Court of San Francisco Gotera on March 11, 1991 (evidence file, tome III, annex 23 to the submission of the case, folio 1745), and Report of the Truth Commission for El Salvador, From madness to hope: the 12-year war in El Salvador, 1992-1993 (evidence file, tome II, annex 1 to the submission of the case, folio 1196). 29