Below are depositions made by Contras who killed Ben Linder to the Contras' "Human Rights Association," a group that was financed by the U.S. Congress as part of the "Contra aid package.

"Deposition made by Santiago Girón-Meza, alias "William," a member of the Francisco Rodriguez patrol commanded by Comandante "Mapachín" on April 28,1987. Age:16, five years in combat.

On April 27, a courier arrived to see Commandante "Mapachín" and told him that there was a place where an operation could be easily conducted; on the 28th the courier took us to that place and the ambush was set. At 8:35 AM, the Sandinistas arrived in a total of 10. When they were nearing the place, the command to halt was given for their surrender. They took position and started shooting at the patrol and we fired back. The shooting at the patrol and we fired back. The shooting lasted approximately 12 minutes with five Sandinista casualties and no casualties to our patrol. When the combat was over the whole patrol approached the place and saw the dead as follows: three in the water and two outside. When the combat started I did not know there was a foreigner but the civilisance at San Jose de Bocay told us that a Cuban and another one, who they did not know what type of a person he was, were in the group. Since they all wore military dress I could not detail if there was a foreigner or not. Two weapons were recovered because the dead who fell into the water went down with their weapons. A camera was also recovered as well as papers written in English which we did not understand; everything was given to the Higher Command. They remained around five minutes near the bodies and then they retreated because there was much enemy presences in the area. That the Sandinistas died from bullet wounds and from grenade shrapnel.

Upon questioning, he replied that they did not know who were the members of the Sandinista group as he said before; only that there was a Cuban and another one, and that no one fired a "stroke of mercy" shot onto any of the five dead. The rest of the Sandinistas fled immediately. That the "Mapachin" patrol was forced by 12 but that only 10 returned because the other two remained interned in Nicaragua. That the distance from here to the place of that combat is an 11-day walk from six in the morning until six at night. That the distance between the place of the ambush and that where the Sandinistas were is approximately 20 meters.

Upon reading of the deposition, he finds it in order and signs it at 11 in the morning of this, the 10th day of June, 1987.

Originally signed:
Santiago Girón-Meza