25 them to leave the region, because they, too, could “disappear' and something could happen to their families. The witness and the other next of kin of the alleged victims departed in the direction of Bárbula Battalion, but could not reach it, because they were followed and had to return to Puerto Boyacá. On the return route, a woman told them she had seen a van carrying two young men and a motorcycle and had recommended them to leave the area. The witness and his companions asked the Medellín Police for help. At the Police station, they were taken to the morgue and shown all the corpses to verify whether any of them were the tradesmen. This took them three days and, seeing that they could not get any results and were not given protection, they returned to Ocaña. This second trip lasted about fifteen days. The witness considers that those responsible for the “disappearance” of his brother, Antonio, were the Army and the “paramilitary personnel.” The witness distinguishes the members of the guerrilla from the “paramilitary personnel” and the Army, because the guerrilla use their own uniform and arms, while the “paramilitary personnel” do not use uniforms and the soldiers are “well dressed.” The witness considers that the “paramilitary personnel” and the Army are connected, because the former enter the Army's Battalions easily, whereas the guerrilla do not. The witness did not find the remains of his brother, Antonio, and hopes that he can receive help to recover his remains. For the witness and his family, what happened to his brother was very harsh. Currently, the witness's mother is 86 years of age and still hopes that Antonio will return, because she believes that he is not dead. The witness does not know whether the persons who made his brother disappear have been tried or punished by the authorities. The witness was afraid to testify, because, where he lives, there are many “paramilitary personnel” who have the support of the Police and the Army. The witness fears for the lives of his family and his mother. b. Testimonial statement by Sandra Belinda Montero Fuentes, wife of the alleged victim, Víctor Manuel Ayala Sánchez, and sister of the alleged victim, Juan Alberto Montero Fuentes At the time of the facts, the witness and the alleged victim, Víctor Ayala, had been married for three years and lived in Bucaramanga. They had two children, one of whom is disabled. The witness is the sister of the alleged victim, Juan Alberto. He was 28 years of age when he disappeared. Juan Alberto worked as a driver. Víctor Ayala worked as a driver transporting passengers and, at the same time, he was a tradesman, because he carried merchandise. He usually took the route from Bucaramanga to Cúcuta and he carried merchandise to Medellín. The witness assumes that, before she met him, Víctor had been doing this for about ten years. Víctor Ayala’s last trip was the second one he made transporting people and taking merchandise from Cúcuta to Medellín. The alleged victim told the witness that he was afraid of making the trip because, during the previous trip, “they had been told” they should not take that road again; nevertheless, he decided to do it because it