After study and evaluation of the recommendations of the Inter-American Human Rights Commission of the Organization of American States (OAS) concerning the case of the massacre of six Jesuit priests and their two collaborators on November 16, 1989, the Central American University (UCA) informs the Salvadoran people and the international community of the following:

1. That today it brought a formal legal complaint before the Prosecutor of the Republic, in order that the investigation of the above-mentioned case be reopened and the following persons be criminally charged:

- RENÉ EMILIO PONCE, as intellectual author of the crime of murder.

- JUAN ORLANDO ZEPEDA, as intellectual author of the crime of murder.

- FRANCISCO ELENA FUENTES, as intellectual author of the crime of murder.

- JUAN RAFAEL BUSTILLO, as intellectual author of the crime of murder.

- RAFAEL HUMBERTO LARIOS, for failure to take action to prevent the crime of murder.

- ALFREDO FÉLIX CRISTIANI BURKARD, for failure to take action to prevent the crime of murder.

2. That the formal legal complaint has been brought after an especially rigorous analysis, having determined that both the Constitution of the Republic and the American Convention on Human Rights, which is the law of the Republic, as well as various other jurisprudential instruments all render the "General Amnesty Law for the Consolidation of the Peace" without legal effect. Therefore, it is possible to investigate and bring to trial the above-
mentioned individuals.

3. With the stumbling block that has falsely been used to avoid reopening the case now removed, we believe that a valuable opportunity now presents itself for our country's public institutions. By acting on the present legal complaint, they can demonstrate, in a transparent, legal way, without political pressures, that they are capable of functioning and doing justice.

4. That notwithstanding having received generous offers from serious foreign persons and institutions, we have preferred to study, seek out, find and open internal avenues to achieve the objective of knowing the truth and receiving justice. We have proceeded in this way in order to demonstrate to Salvadoran society and to the world that in the country real will exists to overcome, once and for all, the impunity that so damaged us during the war and continues harming us in the present.

5. That this legal and legitimate action had been prepared months ago, after the resolution of the Inter-American Human Rights Commission concerning the case, which was emitted in November, 1999. Nevertheless, the complaint is being brought forth 15 days after the recent elections in order to avoid distorted and ill-intentioned interpretations which, as has happened on other occasions, qualify this kind of efforts as campaigns for or against some
political party.

San Salvador, March 27, 2000