- - - coordinator of the group"43 and reckoned that these "paramilitaries were not born on the day that Major Lazaro Vergel arrived to command the Battalion, logically the outgoing commander decided to appreciate the jurisdiction (sic)."44 According to C.T. Fabian Rios, Major Lazaro Vergel declared at the time of the events "that anything that smelled of subversion was to be removed."45 According to the statement of Mr. Jorge Fredy Monroy Avila, a National Police member, who investigated a massacre that took place in the Municipality of Aguachica on January 15, 1995, he came to the conclusion that the group led by members of the Prada family had "the strong support of Army Major LAZAROVERGEL (sic) JORGE ALBERTO, commander of the Aguachica Military Base" and said that "as a result of all these interviews and judicial evidence ... the conclusion is that Major LÁZARO VERGEL was involved in the Puerto Patiño massacre." 46 According to a report by the Directorate of Judicial Police and Investigation in connection with the massacre, "various top-level sources of information point to National Army Major JORGE ALBERTO LAZARO VERGEL, Commander of the Aguachica base, being directly responsible as an organizer and perpetrator of the actions carried out by this group.47 According to Roberto Prada Delgado, Roberto Prada’s son, who commanded the illegal armed group, his father "coordinated with members of the Police, and the DAS" and said they were "from the Police or the Army". He also noted that "it was no secret that the public officials failed to act so that the self defense forces could operate in that area.”48 According to the statement of Javier Antonio Quintero, who had been a member of the self-defense forces since December 1994, "they worked directly with the Army Major called LÁZARO VERGEL who was the Deputy Commander of the Santander Battalion, with that gentleman we were free to roam everywhere.”49 45. In addition, as part of its monitoring work, the Commission received information on the links between the Army and paramilitary groups in the city of Aguachica at the time of the facts of this case. This situation was reflected in its Third Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Colombia in the following terms: [i]n February of 1995, the police commander in Aguachica stated that the paramilitary group presumably responsible for the massacre was directly sponsored by the State's public security forces, in particular by the commander of the local military base, Major Jorge [… continuation] 10, 2010. In connection with the alleged relationship between Major Lazaro Vergel and paramilitary groups, the Commission notes that the Puerto Patiño massacre, Aguachica, FCSPP’s press release said that "according to the testimony of self-confessed paramilitaries that participated in the events, they were carried out by a mixed group made up of members of the criminal gang known as "los cara tapadas” and troops from Infantry Battalion No. 15 "General Francisco de Paula Santander", including the then commander of the Aguachica military base, LAZARO VERGEL who in addition to promoting the advancement of paramilitaries in the area, participated directly in the massacre and forced disappearance” of the fishermen. See Rural Press Agency. Lieutenant Colonel Jorge Alberto Lázaro Vergel captured and accused of being the author of the massacre of Puerto Patiño, Aguachica. At http://prensarural.org/spip/spip.php?article5382. Cf. sworn statement of Police Captain Fabián Ríos Cortés of August 20, 1999, case file No. 015 of the National Human Rights Unit - National Prosecutor’s Office Bucaramanga, folder No. 8, pp. 53 - 58. Annex 26 of the petitioners’ brief of November 10, 2010. 43 Sworn statement of Police Captain Fabián Ríos Cortés of August 20, 1999, case file No. 015 of the National Human Rights Unit - National Prosecutor’s Office Bucaramanga, folder No. 8, pp. 53 - 58. Annex 26 to the petitioners’ brief of November 10, 2010. 44 Sworn statement of Police Captain Fabián Ríos Cortés of August 20, 1999, case file No. 015 of the National Human Rights Unit - National Prosecutor’s Office Bucaramanga, folder No. 8, pp. 53 - 58. Annex 26 to the petitioners’ brief of November 10, 2010. 45 Sworn statement made by Fabián Ríos Cortes before the 44th Special Prosecutor of August 2, 2012. Annex to the petitioners’ brief received on May 17, 2014. 46 Complaint filed by Police member Jorge Fredy Monroy Ávila on February 23, 1995. Case file No. 397 of the National Human Rights Unit – National Prosecutor’s Office, folder No. 2, pp. 223 - 227. Annex 27 to the petitioners’ brief of November 10, 2010. 47 Investigative report into the Puerto Patiño (Cesar) massacre of February 13, 1995. Directorate of Judicial Police and Investigation. Unit for Crimes against Life and Physical Integrity. Annex to the petitioners’ brief of April 23, 1997 and of March 3, 1999. Cf. Sworn statement of Police Captain Fabián Ríos Cortés of May 7, 1998, case file No. 015 of the National Human Rights Unit - National Prosecutor’s Office Bucaramanga, folder No. 4, pp. 159 - 163. Annex No. 31 to the petitioners’ brief of November 10, 2010. Cf. Sworn statement of Rubén Darío Torres of July 21, 2010, case file No. 397 of the National Human Rights Unit - National Prosecutor’s Office Bucaramanga, folder No. 4, pp. 212 - 215. Annex No. 36 to the petitioners’ brief of November 10, 2010. 48 Sworn statement made by Roberto Prada Delgado before the 44 Specialized Prosecutor on April 8, 2011. Annex to the petitioners’ brief received on May 17, 2014. 49 Sworn statement made by Javier Antonio Quintero Coronel before the 76 Specialized Prosecutor of the National Unit of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, of April 30, 2013. Annex to the petitioners’ brief received on May 17, 2014. 11