24 49(1) Plan de Sánchez is one of the villages of the municipality of Rabinal. This municipality is predominantly inhabited by members of the Mayan indigenous people belonging to the Achí linguistic community.17 Regarding the Plan de Sánchez Massacre 49(2) On Sunday, July 18, 1982, market day in Rabinal, the inhabitants of the neighboring villages passed through Plan de Sánchez towards their own communities. At approximately 8 a.m. that day, two shells from a 105-mm. caliber mortar were fired to the east and west of the village. Between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. a commando of approximately 60 individuals, comprising members of the Army, military and judicial agents, civilian informers and patrollers, dressed in military uniform and carrying assault weapons, entered Plan de Sánchez. They gathered the girls, and young women in one place, where they were physically abused, raped, and murdered. The older women, men, and boys were gathered in another place, and subsequently executed; two grenades were thrown and the house where they had been placed was set on fire. Around 268 people were executed, most of them members of the Maya-Achí people. Some of them were residents of the neighboring villages of Chipuerta, Joya de Ramos, Raxjut, Volcanillo, Coxojabaj, Las Tunas, Las Minas, Las Ventanas, Ixchel, Chiac, Concul and Chichupac.18 Regarding events subsequent to the Plan de Sánchez Massacre 49(3) On July 19, 1982, the residents who had not been present or who had escaped returned to the village of Plan de Sánchez, found that smoke was still rising from the house that had been set on fire and that most of the bodies were unrecognizable. At about 3 p.m. or 4 p.m., the military agents from Chipuerta and Concul arrived in the village, accompanied by members of the local PAC, and ordered the survivors to bury the corpses rapidly at the site of the massacre. Some bodies were taken by their next of kin to the village of Concul to bury them in a cemetery.19 49(4) Members of the commando looted and destroyed the homes, stole belongings, food, animals and personal effects (coming back several times for this purpose), and threatened the villagers who had returned. Owing to the fear resulting from these events, and the threats and harassment of the military agents, members of PAC and the Army, the survivors of the massacre gradually decided to abandon the village in the weeks and months following the massacre. The displaced survivors remained outside the community for several years. Two and a half years after the events, the brothers Buenaventura Manuel Jerónimo, Benjamín Manuel Jerónimo, Juan Manuel Jerónimo and Salvador Jerónimo Sánchez returned to the municipal capital of Rabinal and contacted the military agent, who allowed them to remain in the region if they joined the PAC; he did not allow them to farm their land, rebuild their homes or live in the village of Plan de Sánchez. Other families of displaced survivors who returned were obliged to live in the municipal capital of Rabinal. Subsequently, they were allowed to farm their land. In 1985, the survivors were 17 Cf. Case of the Plan de Sánchez Massacre. Judgment of April 29, 2004. Series C. No. 105, paras. 42(9) and 42(10). 18 Cf. Case of the Plan de Sánchez Massacre, supra note 17, paras. 42(15), 42(16), 42(17), 42(18) and 42(21). 19 Cf. Case of the Plan de Sánchez Massacre, supra note 17, paras. 42(22) and 42(23).