Some cases were released from PGN today. Some came out with Previos and some were Approvals. We have not verified how many at this time.
Added: Around 50 released. 10 were approved, the rest had Previos. While not great news, remember that paperwork is not necessarily tied with birthmother intent. Let's hope that these are minor issues and can be resolved quickly.
Yes....at least that is what they are *planning*. There are nearly 300 cases that are ready to be released. But probably only 100 will see the door this week that have passed the birthmother interview. We're hoping today or tomorrow we'll hear some good news.
Birthmother interviews: As we have said before, we have no way of verifying EXACTLY what has been said in some interviews. However, US authorities have been meeting with PGN and have been seen around the building. We know of several organizations that have formally or informally requested that PGN ensure that the interviews are respectful of the birthmother's rights not only as the biological mother, but as a person who is making a difficult decision for the future of her child.
In the meantime, there is still the question of WHY some children have been removed and whether the sited reasons justify the PGN's actions. Reports to the Prospective Adoptive Parents have classified them as "insignificant" or "clerical". Unfortunately, the speculation and rumors have muddied the waters. We HOPE there is no alterior motives behind these removals other than a legitimate fear that the birthmother has not been adequately represented. Instead of us making that call, we will just focus our energies on requesting that PGN REALIZE the trauma invoked on these children and their prospective parents!!!
As this is a difficult time for everyone, we ask that NO comments are posted unless it is SPECIFICLY what you were told about YOUR case. Please see the comment rules by clicking on the questionmark next to "comments" below this post.
I'll begin by saying we still don't know for sure what is happening...
We do have it, as so many of you have read, from a trustworthy adoption agency that two birthmoms were offered money from PGN to reclaim their children. One was apparently offered a lump sum, one a monthly stipend. We have no reason to doubt the validity of that report, or moreso what their attorney, whom they absolute faith in, reported.
With that said, there are still many unanswered questions and everyone I have spoken to, including this agency, finds it hard to believe that PGN is in fact doing this.
What we don't have are reports of this being widespead or uniform. Why would they only make such an offer to a couple of women? There have been no media reports. Why wouldn't the government be proud to annouce a social program aimed at family unification?
My GUESS, and it is truly speculative, is that there is some "logical" explanation that does not negate this attorney's report, but also falls short of some new widespread plan to get women to reclaim their kids. For example, and this is purely trying to imagine an explanation, was this was the work of one overzelous interviewer. Might his machisimo have taken over? Might he have asked the birthmother if she had received any support for relinquishment, which is not illegal, and she replied that she had. Might he have asked her, "well then what would it take to get you to keep your child? Would 500Q a month do it?" MIght this have been a line of COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE questioning as opposed to a serious offer? Might the birthmom have not understood the sickening sarcasm?
If my SPECULATION is correct I truly hope that this person is severly reprimanded, removed from future interviews, and fired. Needless to say, such a thing would be cruel to the birthmother and not in line with what the overall reports of the interview process have been.
While obviously on the surface I completely support the creation of social programs aimed at supporting mothers in need, this certainly would not be the place to start. Far better that such funds be used to address children currently at risk of malnutrition, abandonment, and the other sad woes that are part of everyday reality in Guatemala.
We tried very hard today to learn more on this but quite frankly, everyone is baffled. As we are able to gather more information we will post it.
What I have heard is that knock on wood, some of the cases where the interview took place will be released next week. I hope this occurs as a good faith show that no one is trying to prevent the cases from being completed. So come on PGN - release those files!
All 25 cases interviewed yesterday went fine. Of course, there were more who had been called and obviously no one is going to show up if, for example, the child had been kept from a birthmom who wanted to reclaim in the past. I am not saying that has happened. I'm just saying that this process will likely result in many cases getting cleared and questions on others.
I also learned that if an attorney can't make the appointment date, they need to go to PGN to reschedule. In short, just doing a no show doesn't look good. So if the assigned date for the interview doesn't work for the birthmom or they are trying to find her, they should go, set a date, or communicate with PGN.
Rumor, nothing official, is that all reinquishment cases will be called for an interview. Some 100 more interview requests went out today. More interviews did occur today and I am not sure how many that was.
On the press yesterday.... Obviously, it is wrong for them to take pictures of unwilling birthmoms. They were not allowed on the floor where the interviews were taking place except for before and after the interviewing occurred. They did, unfortunately, have the ability to take pictures of people as they entered and left the building. I don't know if this can be legally prevented and would urge the media to use proper judgement.
Some abandonment cases were called in yesterday. Obviously no birthmom can be present but a representative from the children's home stood in. I don't know the purpose of this unless it is to document/validate who is caring for the child and that it is the same child on the CNA registration.
Some have requested me to create a campaign. I am lacking on time and am not sure I agree with the need for one. As I've written, I am really torn right now. I want all legitimate adoptions completed ASAP. I think that the legality of these interviews is something for the courts to decide. If it is illegal, then an amparo should be filed and ruled on. But from what I know and am hearing, not being a lawyer or expert on this, that ruling could go either way.
My OPINION is that we should see if the cases where interviews have been conducted get released before intervening in domestic affairs of a sovereign state. But as I have written many times before, we happily post information on most campaigns PAPs create. Back in 2003, before I wrote for this site, I and others did do the work and asked Kelly to post it. Guatadopt has rarely if ever been the organizer,it has been the communicator.
A NOTE: someone yesterday in the comments posted a You Tube link. THAT WAS NOT FOOTAGE FROM YESTERDAY. It was months old.
{Posted on behalf of Susana Luarca, Asociacion Defensores de la Adopcion}
President Oscar Berger withdraw the executive orders that he planned to approve this weekend "to celebrate the Children’s Day" , October 1st. The abuse of power that he intended to do by-passing the Congress to pass the Protocol of Good Practices , which is the same UNICEF law of adoptions, and reinstate the Hague Convention, was halted by the same Congress, who warned him of the consequences of usurping the legislative power.
That Berger denied to the DOS that his intentions were to suspend adoptions and take them over by his wife who directs the Secretary of Social Welfare, was expected. He also lied when he said to the press, that Kofi Annan, General Secretary of the United Nations “told him that if Venezuela gets a seat in the Security Council, there will be trouble”. Annan denies having said that to Berger.
The positive part of this experience is to see that the legal system works and that we are working under the protection of the law. The rights granted by the Constitution to the mothers to relinquish their children, to the children to be adopted and to the lawyers to work on adoptions cannot be taken away, by any law or international treaty, not even by the President of Guatemala.
The next step will be to set the record straight with the people at the PGN. We have waited too long to hold them accountable for all their delays, their rejections without legal grounds and their abuses of power. The thorough review of the adoption files is their duty, to verify the legality of the process. But when the files are rejected for no reason or when the review takes not the three days that they should take, but more than a month if they are rejected and much more if they are approved , it is time to make use of the legal actions that the law supplies for cases like these and file criminal charges against them. The worst enemy of an abandoned child is time. The time that a child spends without the love of a family, hurts the child in more ways that we can think of. If the PGN does not care for the children, we have to make them to care. If we don’t do it, we will be as guilty as them.
Best regards,
Susana Luarca
Asociacion Defensores de la Adopcion
It looks like things are starting to move in PGN. Many cases were released yesterday and it appears as though the director has gotten a lawyer to help him review the cases (per Susana Luarca's comments on a different Guatadopt thread).
Here's to hoping it keeps up!
Another meeting is being held today. This time it is with key representatives of the ADA, inlcuding its president, Enrique Urizar. They are meeting with the head of PGN, not the head of the adoptions unit that signs off on all cases. I will post more once I know it.
UPDATE: The meeting did occur. PGN gave the same reasons for delays about being understaffed, increase in the number of cases, etc. They did, however, promise that they would be "caught up" within 15 days. While that sounds optimistic, I want caution parents about laying too much faith on this promise. Hope it's true but don't count on it. We'll all see what happens in the next 3 weeks (I assume 15 days is 15 working days).
Fingers are crossed.
I did just receive confirmation that little was accomplished when the US Embassy met with PGN. PGN claims it is understaffed and overloaded with cases. The one promising thing is that PGN did say they would start issuing all previos at once so that families don't get KOd numerous times. But I would be cautious about believing that because it has been promised many times in that past.
Wish it was better news I was delivering.