30. In 1997, Paz y Justicia was formally incorporated as a non-profit organization (asociación civil) under the name of “Desarrollo, Paz y Justicia” [‘Development, Peace and Justice’], 42 for the purpose of securing government funding. On July 4, 1997, an agreement was entered into with the government of the state of Chiapas granting it 4,600,000 Mexican pesos. At the formal agreement signing ceremony, Mario Renán Castillo Fernández, Commander of the VII Military Region at that time, attended and signed as a witness of honor.43 The Commission notes that, by that time, the organization’s criminal activities were already of public knowledge.44 31. Furthermore, the Commission notes that the senior leadership identified as being from Paz y Justicia45 are one and the same as the designated authorities in the articles of incorporation of the non-profit organization “Desarrollo, Paz y Justicia.”46 Marcos Albino Torres López (former military) was identified as Commander-inChief of Paz y Justicia in the Municipality of Tila, while he was the chairman of the board of directors of the organization. Sabelino Torres Martínez (former military) was identified as the commander in Miguel Alemán, and also appears in the articles of incorporation as the chairman of the surveillance council. Lastly, Raymundo Sánchez Trujillo was identified as weapons procurement officer and then was appointed as a voting member of the executive board of the non-profit organization. 32. Additionally, several sources report that areas located within and around the Selva Lacandona jungle, including the municipalities of Sabanilla and Tila, have a strong Zapatista tradition.47 In fact, the founding of the EZLN is attributed to a small group of mestizos and indigenous people who, on November 17, 1983 in a mountainous region located precisely between Plan de Guadalupe and El Calvario, established their first base camp.48 Furthermore, the “V Caracol de Roberto Barrios” is one of the foundational regions of the Zapatista autonomous communities, which encompasses many of the municipalities of northern Chiapas with a majority Ch’ol population.49 33. Based on the foregoing and the evidence before us taken as a whole, the Commission finds to be a established fact that, at the time of the alleged incidents, there was a context of widespread violence in northern Chiapas state, where paramilitary groups, sponsored by the State – including the group Paz y Justicia – acted with the tolerance and acquiescence thereof in a variety of acts of violence such as executions and disappearances targeting the indigenous population that sympathized with the EZLN and political opponents, of whom there was a significant presence among the Ch’ol indigenous population of El Calvario and Sabanilla. C. Facts of the case 34. Antonio González was 32 years old, a member of the Ch’ol indigenous people and was born in the community of El Calvario, municipality of Sabanilla, Chiapas. He was married to Sonia López and had four children. He worked as the manager of the “Arroyo Frío” cooperative store, of which he was a partner, 50 Annex 07. Articles of Incorporation of Desarrollo, Paz y Justicia AC. Instrument 3976, volume number 99, executed in the city of Ocozocoautla de Espinoza, district of Tuxtla, Chiapas, before attorney-at-law Octavio Esponda López, Chief Notary Public of Office number 77, July 18, 1997 (“Articles of Incorporation of Desarrollo, Paz y Justicia”). Annex 9. Petitioner’s Submission, January 15, 2008. 43 Annex 08. Production Development Agreement between the Government of the state of Chiapas and Desarrollo, Paz y Justicia A.C., entered into on July 4, 1997. Annex 10. Petitioner’s Submission, January 15, 2008. 44 Annex 09. Press clippings about Paz y Justicia from 1995 to 2004. Annex 11. Petitioner’s Submission, January 15, 2008. 45 Centro de Derechos Humanos “Fray Bartolomé de las Casas”. La paramilitarización en la Zona Norte de Chiapas [‘The paramilitarization of northern Chiapas’]. El desarrollo de Paz y Justicia, de acuerdo a Paz y Justicia [‘The development of Paz y Justicia, according to Paz y Justicia’]. Chiapas, July 16, 2004, pg. 33. 46 Annex 07. Articles of Incorporation Desarrollo, Paz y Justicia. Annex 9. Petitioner’s Submission, January 15, 2008. 47 Hernández Millán, Abelardo. Orígenes y antecedentes del EZLN [‘Origins and background of EZLN’]. Espacios Públicos, 2007. 48 Muñoz Ramírez, Gloria. EZLN: 20 y 10, el fuego y la palabra. Mexico: La Jornada Ediciones, 2003, pg. 27; Proceso. Cumple el EZLN 27 años de su fundación en Chiapas [‘27 years since the founding of the EZLN in Chiapas’]. November 17, 2010. Compilation from: https://www.proceso.com.mx/98875/cumple-el-ezln-27-anos-de-su-fundacion-en-chiapas 49 Centro de Documentación sobre Zapatismo [‘Zapatista Movement Documentation Center] (CEDOZ). Listado de Caracoles, Juntas de Buen Gobierno y Municipios Autónomos Zapatistas [List of Caracoles, Good Governance Juntas and Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities’]. 2003. Available at: http://www.cedoz.org/site/content.php?doc=481&cat=82 50 Annex 01. Case file of Preliminary Investigation AL41/SJI/030/99, pages 7-8th. Statement of Sonia López dated January 23, 1999. Annex 15. Petitioner’s Submission, January 15, 2008. 42 8