5 CONSIDERING: 1. That Colombia has been a State Party to the American Convention since July 31, 1973, and that it accepted the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court on June 25, 1985. 2. That Article 63(2) of the Convention establishes that the Court may, in cases “of extreme gravity and urgency, and when necessary to avoid irreparable damage to persons”, take the provisional measures it considers pertinent in matters not yet submitted before it at the request of the Commission. 3. That in the terms of Article 25(4) of the Rules of Procedure: “[if] the Court is not sitting, the President, in consultation with the Permanent Commission, and if possible with the other judges, shall call upon the government concerned to adopt such urgent measures as may be necessary to ensure the effectiveness of any provisional measures subsequently ordered by the Court at its next session.” 4. That Article 1(1) of the Convention stipulates the duty of States Parties to respect the rights and freedoms recognized therein and to ensure to all persons subject to their jurisdiction the free and full exercise of those rights and freedoms. 5. That the events presented in this case effectively constitute a prima facie case of urgent and grave danger to the life and personal integrity of the 17 mentioned persons. 6. That the fact that the Inter-American Commission had requested precautionary measures on two different occasions (September 20, 1994 and February 25, 1997), and that they have not produced the required effects, to the contrary, the recent attempt on the Medellín sectional office of the Association, result in the presumption that the security of its members is at grave risk. As a result, exceptional circumstances exist that make it necessary to order urgent measures in order to avoid irreparable damage. 7. That the pending decision in regards to an administrative complaint that involves a possible sanction against a high officer of the armed forces for the alleged disappearance of Ms. Nidia Erika Bautista, a relative of various of the persons on behalf of whom the provisional measures are requested, creates the presumption that a situation of extreme gravity and urgency could arise, especially in light of the recent grave act such as the attempt described in Having Seen No. 3.J. 8. That it is the responsibility of the State to adopt security measures for every citizen, an obligation that is amplified when related to those involved in proceedings before the organs of the inter-American system for the protection of human rights attempting to determine whether or not there has been a violation of human rights contemplated in the American Convention. 9. That at the same time, the State of Colombia has the obligation to investigate the events that motivated this request for provisional measures in order to identify those responsible and to impose the pertinent sanctions, particularly in regards to the attempt on the Medellín offices of the Association on June 24, 1997.