essential structure of the Chilean State and municipal autonomy, to dismiss any obligation by the treasury to provide resources for the municipalities to pay the debts.351 C. Situation of the alleged victims in the instant case 124. The universe of alleged victims in the instant case, according to the Commission, consists of 848 teachers who, in the early 1980s, were transferred from the central government to the municipalities of Chañaral, Chanco, Pelluhue, Vallenar, Cauquenes and Parral in the process of municipalization of public education in Chile. They were all part of internal proceedings that culminated in a judgment recognizing their right to receive payment of the special allowance contained in Article 40 of decree-law No. 3,551. 125. The alleged victims are all older adults.352 As of June 30, 2021, the date of transmission of the parties’ closing arguments, 149 alleged victims, or eighteen percent of the total, were between 80 and 92 years of age; 325 alleged victims, or thirty-eight percent of the total, between 70 and 79 years of age, and 189 alleged victims, or twenty-two percent of the total, between 61 and 69 years of age. As of the same date, 185 alleged victims, or over one-fifth of the total, had passed away.353 Age profile of the alleged victims 22% 22% Fallecidas Entre 80 y 92 años 18% Entre 70 y 79 años Menores de 70 años 38% Age profile of the alleged victims as of June 30, 2021 354 351 Cf. Order 20343 by the Supreme Court, November 19, 2003 (evidence file, folio 2192 to 2196). 352 According to Article 2 of the Inter-American Convention on Protecting the Human Rights of Older Persons, ratified by Chile on July 11, 2017, an “[o]lder person” is “[a] person aged 60 or older, except where legislation has determined a minimum age that is lesser or greater, provided that it is not over 65 years. This concept includes, among others, elderly persons.” 353 Cf. Death certificates submitted by the representatives as annexes to their final pleadings (evidence file, folios 19266 to 19459). 354 Cf. Age table submitted by the representatives (evidence file, folios 19460 to 19477). 45