-523. On August 23, 2004, after an extension had been granted, the State appointed Juan Carlos Esguerra Portocarrero as Judge ad hoc. The same day, it appointed Luz Marina Gil García as Agent and Sonia Clemencia Uribe Rodríguez as Deputy Agent. Subsequently, on August 17, 2005, the State indicated that Eduardo Montealegre Lynett had been appointed Agent and Luz Marina Gil García, Deputy Agent. 24. On August 23, 2004, the representatives presented their brief with requests and arguments, to which they attached documentary evidence, and offered testimonial and expert evidence. 25. On October 25, 2004, the State presented its brief with preliminary objections, in answer to the application and with observations on the requests and arguments (hereinafter “answer to the application”), to which it attached documentary evidence. 26. On November 24 and 25, 2004, the Commission and the representatives, respectively, submitted their written arguments on the preliminary objections filed by the State. 27. On July 29, 2005, the President issued an order in which, inter alia, he enjoined the State to determine, by August 10, 2005, at the latest, the name and position of the person it had offered as a witness. He also required the witnesses proposed by the representatives: Benidlo José Ricardo Herrera, Robinson Petro Pérez Pedro Luis Escobar Duarte, Manuel Dolores López Cuadro, Genaro Calderón Ruiz, Euclides Manuel Calle Álvarez, Eliécer Manuel Meza Acosta, María Cecilia Ruiz Álvarez, Edilma de Escobar and Leovigilda Rosa Villalba Sánchez, and also the expert witnesses Alfredo Molano Bravo and Carlos Martín Beristain, to provide their testimonies and expert evidence, respectively, by means of statements made before notary public (affidavits). The President also convened the Commission, the representatives, and the State to a public hearing to be held at the seat of the InterAmerican Court starting on September 19, 2005, to hear their final oral arguments on preliminary objections and possible merits, reparations and costs, as well as the testimonies of Ángel Emiro Jiménez Romero and Mariano Manuel Martínez Pacheco, proposed by the Commission and by the representatives; and of José Daniel Álvarez Ruiz, Rubén Díaz Romero, Blanca Libia Moreno Cossio and Nancy Amparo Guerra López, proposed by the representatives. The President also informed the parties that they had a non-extendible period until October 20, 2005, to submit their final written arguments on preliminary objections and possible merits, reparations and costs. 28. On August 10, 2005, the State presented a brief in which it offered Elba Beatriz Silva Vargas as a witness. 29. On August 19, 22, 23 and 25, 2005, the representatives presented the statements of the witnesses and expert witnesses made before notary public (affidavits) requested by the President in the order of July 29, 2005 (supra para. 27). 30. On September 6, 2005, the President issued an order in which he convened Elba Beatriz Silva Vargas, proposed by the State, to appear at the said public hearing (supra para. 27). 31. On September 19 and 20, 2005, a public hearing was held, during which there appeared before the Court: a) for the Inter-American Commission: Susana