CASE OF THE AFRO-DESCENDANT COMMUNITIES DISPLACED FROM THE CACARICA
RIVER BASIN (OPERATION GENESIS) v. COLOMBIA
Table of contents
I. INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE AND PURPOSE OF THE DISPUTE ..............................................4
II. PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT.......................................................................................6
III. COMPETENCE .......................................................................................................................8
IV. PARTIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY .................................8
A. DECLARATION BY THE STATE AND OBSERVATIONS OF THE COMMISSION AND OF THE REPRESENTATIVES ...................... 8
B. CONSIDERATIONS OF THE COURT ..................................................................................................... 9
V. PRELIMINARY OBJECTIONS .................................................................................................10
A. ARGUMENTS OF THE PARTIES AND OF THE COMMISSION .......................................................................... 10
B. CONSIDERATIONS OF THE COURT ................................................................................................... 12
VI. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PRESUMED VICTIMS .........................................13
VII. EVIDENCE .........................................................................................................................16
A. DOCUMENTARY, TESTIMONIAL AND EXPERT EVIDENCE ............................................................................. 16
B. ADMISSION OF THE DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE ...................................................................................... 16
B.1. Documentary evidence submitted after the motions and arguments brief and the answering
brief ................................................................................................................................... 17
B.2. Documentation handed over during the public hearing by two deponents and transfer of expert
opinions from other cases submitted to the Court’s consideration ............................................... 20
B.3. Documentation requested in the order convening the public hearing, during this hearing, and
subsequently. ...................................................................................................................... 21
B.4. Criteria for assessing the evidence relating to statements or “voluntary confessions” received in
the context of domestic judicial proceedings ............................................................................ 25
C. ADMISSION
OF THE STATEMENTS OF THE PRESUMED VICTIMS, THE EXPERT WITNESSES, A DEPONENT FOR INFORMATION
PURPOSES AND A WITNESS................................................................................................................ 27
VIII FACTS ...............................................................................................................................28
A. CONTEXT ......................................................................................¡ERROR! MARCADOR NO DEFINIDO.
A.1. Geographical location ..................................................................................................... 28
A.2. Demographics ............................................................................................................... 29
A.3. Public order situation and acts of violence against the Cacarica communities ......................... 31
B.
C.
D.
E.
BACKGROUND TO OPERATIONS “GENESIS” AND “CACARICA” .................................................................... 35
“OPERATION GENESIS” AND “OPERATION CACARICA” ............................................................................ 37
THE DEATH OF MARINO LÓPEZ ....................................................................................................... 42
THE FACTS RELATING TO THE ALLEGED FORCED DISPLACEMENT .................................................................. 44
E.1. The alleged forced displacement ...................................................................................... 44
E.2. The displacement sites and conditions .............................................................................. 47
F.
G.
H.
I.
EVENTS FOLLOWING THE DISPLACEMENT ............................................................................................ 50
THE RETURN OF THE DISPLACED AND THE CONTINUED ACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST THOSE DISPLACED FROM CACARICA... 50
DISPOSSESSION AND ILLEGAL LOGGING ON THE COLLECTIVE TERRITORY ....................................................... 54
THE JURISDICTIONAL PROCEEDINGS ................................................................................................. 58
I.1.
I.2.
I.3.
I.4.
Ordinary criminal jurisdiction ........................................................................................... 58
Investigations under the special Justice and Peace procedure .............................................. 67
Investigation in the disciplinary jurisdiction........................................................................ 68
Judicial actions filed based on the forced displacement ........................................................ 70
IX MERITS................................................................................................................................72
IX.1. “OPERATION GENESIS” AND THE PARAMILITARY INCURSIONS (“OPERATION
CACARICA”) AS CAUSES OF THE FORCED DISPLACEMENT OF THE COMMUNITIES OF THE
CACARICA RIVER BASIN AND THE DEATH OF MARINO LÓPEZ (Articles 4, 5 and 22 of the
Convention) .............................................................................................................................72
A. ARGUMENTS OF THE COMMISSION AND OF THE PARTIES .......................................................................... 72
2