15 51. On August 21, 1971, Hugo Banzer Suárez, a colonel at the time, led a coup d'état in Bolivia and established a military dictatorship that lasted approximately 6 years and 11 months.27 52. During the dictatorship of Hugo Banzer, the Department for Political Order (Dirección de Orden Político) was created, inter alia, to repress his political opponents.28 Additionally, “constitutional guarantees” were suspended, actions were taken against leftist political parties and the Bolivian Labor Headquarters (Central Obrera Boliviana); and, in general, several opponent groups were persecuted. Likewise, various universities were closed. During this period, the judiciary and the Public Prosecutor's Office were under the control of the de facto government.29 53. During this period of time, numerous human rights violations were committed in the context of a policy of repression against groups and individuals identified by the government as enemies or opponents of the regime. During the public hearing held in the instant case, the State indicated that the dictatorship of Hugo Banzer “marked a dark past in the history of Bolivia.” Illegal and arbitrary detentions were conducted, and people were deprived of their liberty in detention centers used to interrogate and torture political prisoners, many of who disappeared.30 Among these detentions centers were the center of 27 Cf. Declaration rendered before public notary (affidavit) of expert witness Juán Cristóbal Soruco (case file of the merits, volume III, folios 657 and 660), and Barcelona International Studies and Documentation Center (CIDOB), Biography of Hugo Banzer Suárez (case file of appendixes to the application, appendix 3, folios 1554 to 1555), available at: http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/bolivia/hugo_banzer_suar e z (Last visit: August 2, 2010). This was also mentioned by the State of Bolivia during the public hearing (supra para. 8). 28 The Political Order Direction (POD) was created through Supreme Decree No. 10108 on January 25, 1972. Cf. Official Gazette of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Edition 596, available at: http://gacetaoficialdebolivia.gob.bo/normas/verGratis/4773 (Last visit: July 6, 2010). According to Article 3 of said Decree: “The Department for Political Order (DPO), will be in charge of keeping Political Order and public peace, preventing political and criminal activities, that may attack domestic security and stability of the Government.” See, also, Association of Relatives of the Detainees, Disappeared Persons and Martyrs for National Liberation (ASOFAMD) and Bolivian Labour Headquarters (COB). Banzer: Genius and figure… Not to be forgotten. Never again. [Banzer: Genio y figura... Para que no se olvide. Nunca más.] Crear Impresiones Publishing House. La Paz, 2008 (case file of appendixes to the application, appendix 5, folios 1603 to 1604), available at: http://www.somosunoradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/1-dictadura-de-hugo-banzer-suarezpara-que-no- se-olvide-violacion-al-derecho-de-asociacion-y-trabajo-2.doc (Last visit: August 2, 2010). This document can also be found at Report: Human Rights violation in Bolivia – Bolivian Labout Office, 1976, handed over by the State during the public hearing (supra para. 8) and as appendix to its final written arguments (case file on the merits, volume III, folios 1109 to 1110). 29 Cf. Barcelona International Studies and Documentation Center (CIDOB), Biography of Hugo Banzer Suárez (case file of appendixes to the application, appendix 3, folios 1554 to 1555), available at: http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/bolivia/hugo_banzer_suar e z (Last visit: August 2, 2010); Association of Relatives of the Detainees, Disappeared Persons and Martyrs for National Liberation in Bolivia (ASOFAMD) and Bolivian Labour Headquarters (COB), Banzer: Genius and figure… Not to be forgotten. Never again. [Banzer: Genio y figura... Para que no se olvide. Nunca más.] Crear Impresiones Publishing House, La Paz, 2008 (case file of appendixes to the application, apprendix 5, folios 1580, 1583, 1668 and 1674 to 1675), available at: http://www.somosunoradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/1dictadura-de-hugo-banzer-suarez-para-que-nose-olvide-violacion-al-derecho-de-asociacion-y-trabajo-2.doc (Last visit: August 2, 2010), and declaration of expert witness Waldo Albarracín rendered at the public hearing (supra para. 8). 30 Cf. Declaration of expert witness Juan Cristóbal Soruco rendered before public notary (affidavit) (case file on the merits, volume III, folios 658 to 660); declaration of Mrs. Ledy Catoira Moreno rendered before public notary (affidavit) (case file on the mertis, volume III, folios 669 to 671); declaration of Mrs. Hilda Saavedra Serrano rendered before public notary (affidavit) (case file on the mertis, volume III, folios 665 to 666); Press release published on May 26, 1996 in La Razón, “There are around 240 cases of forced disappearances in Bolivia to be clarified” [En Bolivia existen unos 240 casos de desapariciones forzadas por aclarar”] (case file of