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husband disassociated himself from the family. Teresa de Jesús Jaimes Cruz died on
February 13, 2002.
The witness was one of the last persons to find out about the “disappearance” of the
alleged victim, who she thought of as a father. Luis Hernando was always attentive
to the needs of the witness.
The family experienced feelings of terrible sadness, impotence, frustration and
anxiety while waiting for Luis Hernando to appear. There was a very tense
environment in the home and no one could refer to the matter, because that
brought back the pain. The whole family suffered financial hardship and she
considers that, if the facts of the case had not occurred, she could have studied at
university, her parents would not have separated and they would not have died
prematurely. Her parents could never accept what happened to Luis Hernando.
They felt very frustrated by Luis Hernando's “disappearance,” especially owing to the
impossibility of doing anything to look for him. The family was afraid of asking
about what had happened and did not have the resources to pay for help.
The witness asked the Court to ensure that justice is done, that those responsible
are punished, that the remains of Luis Hernando are returned to them so that they
can bury him, that her brother's name be cleared, as efforts had been made to link it
to the guerrilla, and that information that he was an honest tradesman and a good
person be published.
She believed that the latter could be achieved if a
documentary describing the facts is made, for international distribution.
The witness was afraid to testify, fearing reprisals against herself or her family.
g)
Testimony of Ofelia Sauza de Uribe, sister of the alleged victim,
Luis Domingo Sauza Suárez
Luis Domingo Sauza Suárez was 34 years of age at the time of his disappearance.
In June 1987, he moved to Cúcuta with his wife, Marina Cáceres, their four children,
Martha Yolima, Oscar, Luis Omar and Yudani. Before his marriage, the alleged
victim had had another child, Nirama Sauza Suárez. At the time of the facts, he sold
merchandise that he took to Medellín.
Luis Domingo was ambitious, very
affectionate and happy, and had a good relationship with the witness.
The witness heard of the “disappearance” of her brother, because his wife told her
sister that Luis Domingo had not been seen for two weeks. At that time, the witness
and her sister-in-law decided to inform the alleged victim's parents about his
“disappearance.”
About two years after Luis Domingo's “disappearance,” his family heard about
ASAFADDES and became members.
There, they were advised about the
investigation into the events. The witness believes that the investigations conducted
have not explained the facts completely and that those responsible have not been
punished.
After Luis Domingo's “disappearance,” his mother became ill; she had heart
problems, diabetes and stress.
For the last 15 years, she has been taking
medication every day.