Inter-American Court of Human Rights Case of Las Palmeras v. Colombia Judgment of February 4, 2000 (Preliminary Objections) In the Las Palmeras case, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Court” or “the InterAmerican Court”), composed as follows:* Antônio A. Cançado Trindade, President; Máximo Pacheco Gómez, Vice President; Hernán Salgado Pesantes, Judge; Oliver Jackman, Judge; Alirio Abreu Burelli, Judge; Sergio García Ramírez, Judge, and Julio A. Barberis, Judge ad hoc; also present, Manuel E. Ventura Robles, Secretary, and Renzo Pomi, Deputy Secretary, pursuant to Article 36.6 of its Rules of Procedure (hereinafter “the Rules of Procedure”), delivers the following judgment on the preliminary objections filed by the Republic of Colombia (hereinafter “the State” or “Colombia”). I INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE 1. This case was submitted to the Court by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Commission” or “the Inter-American Commission”) on July 6, 1998. The Commission’s application originates from a petition (No. 11.237) received by its Secretariat and dated in Bogotá on January 27, 1994. II FACTS SET FORTH IN THE APPLICATION 2. In its application, the Inter-American Commission set forth the facts on which its complaint is based. It is alleged that on January 23, 1991, the Departmental Commander of the * Judge Carlos Vicente de Roux Rengifo, a Colombian national, excused himself from hearing the instant case.