-5-
8.
That on various occasions the State failed to present its reports or did not provide
sufficient information, making it difficult for the Court to determine the actual circumstances
of the beneficiaries of the measures ordered. This creates a situation of uncertainty that is
incompatible with the preventative and protective nature of provisional measures.
9.
That this Court has already made clear that it is the State’s duty to provide sufficient
information on the measures adopted,4 and that the General Assembly of the OAS has
reiterated that, in order for the Tribunal to be able to comply satisfactorily with its obligation
to report as to the compliance with its rulings, State Parties must provide them with the
information they require in a timely fashion. 5
That through notes provided in October and November of 2005 as well as January
2006, all parties were asked to provide their comments regarding the persistence of a
situation of extreme gravity and urgency and the possibility of irreparable damages that
could justify upholding the provisional measures. This was requested taking into
consideration that one of the main reasons for the implementation of the provisional
measures was to comply with one of the agreements in the friendly settlement report issued
by the Commission.
10.
11.
That after 13 years of having ordered the provisional measures, the main point of
controversy in regards to these remains the potential danger to the beneficiaries if the
apprehension orders against the former patrol officers, who escaped from prison in April
1999, are not enforced. Furthermore, the reports from the State as well as the comments
from the Commission and the representatives have revolved around the investigation into
the facts which gave rise to the current provisional measures as well as the effectiveness of
the implementation of security measures directed towards the beneficiaries, particularly in
regards to the frequency in which foot and vehicle patrols have or have not occurred, in
order to protect the boundaries of the community.
12.
That Case No. 11.212 (Juan Pablo Chanay et al), which led to the present provisional
measures, was resolved in Report No. 19/97 using the Commission’s Friendly Settlement
mechanism on March 12, 1997 through Report No. 19/97 which established that, inter alia:
[T]he agreement stipulates that the State of Guatemala shall provide communal assistance to the
affected communities of Colotenango, in accordance with a program of projects agreed upon by
the parties (to be executed by FONAPAZ.) The State shall pay Q 300,000, to be divided among
the citizens directly affected by the events in question, and to be used to cover the medical and
legal costs the petitioners deem pertinent. The petitioners shall provide the names of the
individuals concerned to the Commission, and a list of the precise portion of the total each is to
receive. The Inter-American Commission shall ensure that the specified amounts are delivered to
the petitioners. The petitioners acknowledge that all their claims arising in respect of this case
have been satisfied. The Government shall take the measures necessary to assure that justice is
done in this case, including through the investigation of the facts; continued efforts to detain
those implicated who remain at liberty and to punish those responsible, in accordance with the
international norms in effect in the State so that those found responsible are not left in impunity.
4
Cfr. Matter of Carlos Nieto et al. Provisional Measures. Order of the Inter-American Human Rights Court of
September 22, 2006, fifteenth and sixteenth considering clauses; Matter of the Communities Jiguamiandó and
Curbaradó. Provisional Measures. Order of the Inter-American Human Rights Court of February 7, 2006, sixteenth
and seventeenth considering clauses, and Matter of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó. Provisional
Measures. Order of the Inter-American Human Rights Court of February 2, 2006, sixteenth considering clause.
5
General Assembly Order AG/RES. 2292 (XXXVII-O/07) approved during the fourth plenary session on June
5, 2007 entitled “Comments and Observations regarding the Annual Report of the Inter-American Human Rights
Court”.