234. The State indicated that the inhabitants of Bijao, a community located around 30 kilometers to the north of Teguerre, the nearest Operation Genesis objective,468 could never have heard bombing so far away,469 because this was carried out near the Salaquí and Truando Rivers. However, the Court can infer, reasonably and consistently with the rest of the evidence, that the bombing heard by the inhabitants of both Bijao and the nearby villages (Puente América or El Limón) may have corresponded to the bombing that took place at Loma de Cacarica, located around 10 or 11 kilometers away.470 235. Also, according to the voluntary confessions of some paramilitaries during the special Justice and Peace procedure, no bombing was heard during the execution of Operation Cacarica.471 Their statements even reveal that they were able to see the craters made by the explosions when they continued on towards the area of Salaquí, which coincides with several of the places indicated by the State as the objectives of Operation Genesis.472 Indictment in case file 2332: “[…] since it is therefore appropriate to conclude that there was a common project between the self-defense forces and the Army, on the one hand the ACCU, and its desire for political and territorial domination and, on the other, the Army and its desire to conquer the FARC subversive group […]. In this region of Chocó department, especially in the area between the municipalities of Riosucio, Carmen de Darién and Murindó (Antioquia), where […] at the time of the event, […] the Elmer Cárdenas paramilitary front of the Self-Defense Forces were present, together with the 57th and 34th Fronts of the Revolutionary Forces of Colombia, the combined group that we will hereinafter call “Collusion between Self-Defense and Paramilitary Forces” and members of the Army’s 15th and 17th Brigades, who maintained, either individually or in alliances, continuous confrontations with the known results […]” (evidence file, folios 8862 and 8863); “[…]Conclusion II: The death of Marino Lopez Mena was not isolated; it formed part of a strategy of paramilitary consolidation, occupation of territory, and subjection of a common enemy (emphasized in the original) […] inflicting terror in order to achieve the displacement of a non-combattant civilian population, possession of territories and, thus, achieving a point of the conflict that was positive for Castaño’s objective and profitable for del Río’s interest […]” (evidence file, folio 8873); […] Conclusion III: One of the strategies included in the agreement between the Self-Defense Forces and the Army was simultaneous attacks: on the one hand Operation Genesis by the Army, and on the other hand, the AC Elmer Cárdenas Group (perpetrators of the murder). The effect was felt throughout the territory to be taken over; we observe that the sound of the explosive devices launched during this action, naturally, had disastrous effects in Salaquí, but was also felt in a place called Bijao, so that it can be concluded that the effect was felt by all those located in these river valleys. Equally disastrous and generalized was the effect of the death of Marino, because it resulted in displacements throughout the territory; consequently, it merges into a single context, in other words, Operation Genesis and the action of the Elmer Cárdenas Bloc giving rise a third group called “Collusion between Self-Defense and Paramilitary Forces,” which carried out the joint task that, in addition, generated an immense terror, and caused the death of some, such as Marino Lopez Mena, and sent others “mad,” and led to the destruction of the context of their life […] (evidence file, folio 8875); “[…] The Operations took place simultaneously and the illegal group remained for at least 10 days, clearly proving the relationship between General Rito Alejo del Río and the paramilitary group to facilitate, through a third combined group, the common objectives mentioned above […]. It has been proved that, in the sector or area of the Cacarica and Salaquí (adjoining), there was a simultaneous and joint operation formed, on the one hand, by the so-called Genesis (military) and, on the other, the death of Marino Lopez (self-defense forces), where aircraft (planes and helicopters) were used with capacity to cross this reduced air space in instants, because the distance is 36.35 kilometers […]. There were no confrontations between the troops and the self-defense forces; to the contrary, they met in a place called “Bocachica” and moved across the area of Operation Genesis together in helicopters of the State […]” (evidence file, folios 8877 and 8878). 468 Bearing in mind that the nearest object would be objective No. 6: Puente América; however, since the State denies that the Armed Forces attacked this objective, objective No. 5: Teguerre would be the nearest as the State has recognized. 469 Cf. Affidavit dated January 31, 2013, prepared by María Paulina Leguizamón Zarate, expert witness proposed by the State (evidence file, folios 15450 and 15451); Testimony of Luis Emilio Cardozo Santamaría, expert witness proposed by the Colombian State, before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights during the public hearing on February 12, 2013. 470 Distance calculated by the Court based on the coordinates provided by the State and not contested by the representatives. 471 Cf. Voluntary confession made by Luis Muentes Mendoza in Report No. 116 of November 9, 2009, presented by the Technical Investigation Corps to the 122nd and 48th Regional Prosecutors delegated to the Justice and Peace judges (evidence file, folio 17165). 472 Cf. Voluntary confessions made by William Soto Salcedo, Alberto García Sevilla and Fredy Rendón in Collective voluntary confessions of the candidates of the Elmer Cárdenas Bloc concerning Operation Genesis – Cacarica before the 48th Delegate Prosecutor, Justice and Peace Unit, Medellín, on April 28 and 29, 2010: “on the way [from Boca Chica to Lomas de Salaquí] we realized that there had been bombing, because between Teguerre and Salaquí there were 83