Last update: 4:30 pm, January 18, 2022
- Today, the prosecution’s star witness Santos Hernandez Correa, a contracted security supervisor for Los Pinares, testified before the court. Hernandez Correa is the allegedly victim of an unjust detention by the accused. Hernandez Correa first gave his testimony, was questioned by all parties and finished on the stand.
- Santos Hernandez described the day of the incident, September 7, 2018 from his point of view.
- [NOTE: This testimony was difficult to understand but the following is a rough overview.] The day started at approximately 6 am when Hernandez and approximately 30 to 40 employees (security guards, contractors, and workers) of Los Pinares arrived at the company’s site and began working outside the company’s plant located between the communities of Guapinol and La Ceibita. As they worked, approximately 500 people began coming down on the road from the mountain, surrounding them. Hernandez said he could hear weapons being discharged in the mountains. When he realized they couldn’t work because community members were upset and telling them to leave, Hernandez decided to leave the area with other employees of the company. As things got more intense, there was a gunshot and someone had been injured. Hernandez got into his car and angry community members started surrounding the car and hitting it. He was then removed from the car and allegedly detained by several of the accused that were beating him up and threatening to cut his hand off. People continued to steal items left in the car and set it on fire. Then alleged community members began destroying two large containers owned by Inversiones Los Pinares that were brought in for sleeping quarters for the company’s employees. At approximately 1 pm after several hours of being detained by community members, Hernandez was handed over to the police after negotiations were facilitated by community leaders.
- The defense questioned Hernandez Correa about a few contradictions in his testimony compared to previous declarations he had made in two previous legal hearings. They are:
- The types of alleged weapons that individuals from the communities had that day. Today, Hernandez said they carried .38 and 9 millimeter weapons. In previous hearings, he had testified that they were armed with machetes and long sticks.
- Hernandez had stated that on September 7, 2018, people had stolen money from him when they detained him. He has constantly changed the quantity that was allegedly stolen. Today, he said 38,000 Lps and then 78,000 Lps. In previous hearings, Hernandez said 37,000 Lps.
- Today, Hernandez stated that he was searched by two individuals, Nahum and Orbin [possibly confusing the name of one accused for two different people]. When questioned about previous testimony when he indicated that he had been searched by accused, Arnol Javier Aleman, Hernandez said that Arnol was the person that held him by the scruff of the neck. This answer contradicted a pervious claim that Hernandez had made moments before, when he said that it was accused Jose Marquez that held him from behind while others searched him. These contradictions were not clarified.
- The defense established that Santos Hernandez Correa holds an active contract with Inversiones Los Pinares. This might suggest that he has a vested interest in the mining company’s position and stance against the Guapinol water defenders.
- The trial took place from 9:30 am to 2 pm, when it was suspended by the judges. It is convened again tomorrow at 9 am.
