as Minister of Interior and Justice, [he offered] a public apology for the crime
committed against Senator Cepeda Vargas" and expressed "his most sincere
condolences to his [next-of-kin]."
26.
Mr. Ivan Cepeda, in his capacity as victim and representative of the next-ofkin, mentioned, during the formal act of acknowledgment of responsibility of the
State, that “by complying with the judgment of the Inter-American Court […], the
National Government is not only performing its duty to comply with and implement
the measures of reparation ordered by the international tribunal in a particular case. It
is, at the same time, doing a symbolic act which has, at least, four profound meanings
for the Colombian society […] In the first place, “by officially acknowledging its
responsibility in the case of the murder of Senator Manuel Cepeda Vargas, it is doing
justice in one of the thousands facts of genocide committed against the UP” […] In the
second place, [said] act […] it is a defending the historical truth and, in this sense, the
dignity [of the next-of-kin] and the dignity of Senator Manuel Cepeda Vargas”. In the
third place, “the acknowledgment made by the State […] is an act with profound
meaning for the democracy and the commencement of a procedure of political
reparation in the case of the Patriotic Union". Lastly, it mentioned that the "official
apology offered in the case of Manuel Cepeda Vargas is an act that builds up the hope
that Colombia may put an end to the endless armed conflict that is destroying the
country".
27.
The Tribunal recognizes and positively values the ceremony of the
acknowledgment acts which are a series of actions that contribute to the preservation
of the historic memory of the victims of the human rights violations committed in this
case and promote the non-repetition of similar acts. The act was carried out in the
Congress of the Republic and it was honored by the presence of the then Minister of
Interior and Justice, the State authorities and civil society organizations and persons,
as well as the next-of-kin. The statements made by the authorities, acting on behalf of
the State, allowed the audience to identify, from the oral point of view and graphic as
well, the facts and some of the authorities implicated in the proceeding. Mr. Ivan
Cepeda accepted the ceremony on behalf of the next-of-kin. The Court considers that
said act for acknowledgment of responsibility adequately satisfies the formalities
previously noted (supra Considering clause 27) and, therefore, the purpose of the
reparation ordered, given that it was organized by a high-ranking State authority; it
was broadly disseminated by the television and the press and it made express
reference to the victims and facts of the instant case. The Court declares that the
State has fully complied with this measure of reparation, in the terms of operative
paragraph eleven of the Judgment.
E.
On the duty to prepare a publication and make an audio-visual
documentary on the political life, journalism career and political role of Senator
Manuel Cepeda Vargas, in coordination with the next-of-kin, and disseminate it
(operative paragraph twelve of the Judgment)
28.
The State indicated that, in a meeting held with the representatives and Mr.
Ivan Cepeda Castro on November 30, 2010, it was agreed that they would send a
proposal for the compliance with the measure of reparation, “a commitment that
[would have been] reminded by the State by means of electronic mails of February 2,
2011 and March 7, 2011 and official letter of April 5, 2011”. The State further alleged
that “once the State hears the proposal made by the victims and their representatives,
it will proceed to analyze it in order to make progress in the compliance”.
8