UPDATE - April 4th., 2007
The Holy Week is the time of the year when Guatemalans take a brake. Some go to the country or to the beaches, and some others use these days to remember the Passion of Christ, attending the processions and other religious acts. According to the Labor Code, only Thursday, Friday and Saturday are holidays. But schools close from the previous Friday until Easter Monday. The public offices close from Wednesday to Friday. The PGN was open during Monday and Tuesday, although we cannot say that they did any work, as no many files came out during those days.
The process of adoption remains unchanged. Today’s Prensa Libre published an article about adoptions, stating that despite the DOS warnings, the US has issued over two thousand visas to adopted children within two months. That makes them think that the amount of visas issued at the end of the year will be far grater than last year’s. We hope that it does, for the sake of the children who need a home and cannot find it in Guatemala, where not even public orphanages exist.
The Manual of Good Practices cannot be legally enforced. If the PGN tries to stop adoptions based on an unsigned document that has no validity, we will bring charges against each and every single one of those who do it at the PGN, also will complain against them before the Court of Honor of the Guatemalan Bar Association. We trust that the PGN lawyers will value more their careers, their reputation, their freedom, than their desire to stop children from being raised by permanent loving families who live abroad.
The waiting is difficult, but contrary to what happens in other countries, you are allowed to visit you child and his country of birth, while you wait for the moment when you actually can call him or her “my child”.
Comments
thank you Susana and all at ADA
i am going to visit the little girl who i hope will be my daughter someday soon - my paperwork is in PGN right now - the work you do changes so many lives
for that i want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart
M-K
Posted by: M-K | April 4, 2007 05:44 PM
Thank you for the update, Ms Luarca. It is reassuring to hear from the Guatemalan side. I believe the US, despite their dire warnings, will have to honor what they said about processing Guatemalan adoptions until the US ratifies the Hague. I feel like I can fight my own government if they deny my child's visa. But the one thing that makes me feel helpless is any action taken by the Guatemalan government to abruptly shut down adoptions from the Guatemalan side. I feel better reading your update as I would love to adopt a second Guatemalan child, and give another child a forever home, in addition to the precious son-to-be whose POA we recently registered. I love the children of Guatemala so much and am so grateful to be "mama" to at least one precious boy.Thank you so much for the efforts of the ADA and your work for Guatemalan children. I pray they may all find loving permanent homes.
Wendy Faircloth
Posted by: Wendy Faircloth | April 5, 2007 01:23 AM
OK, totally confused again...April 5th article in Prensaecrita seems to indicate all kinds of changes coming involving the Guatemalan legislature, not just the Executive Branch, and funding to implement changes to adoptions *immediately after the Easter holiday*. It sounded like the new legislation means a number of social-service institutions will be involved in addition to PGN.
I have no idea how this will affect all of us with referrals of Guatemalan children and desperately wish we knew what was going on in Guatemala.
I'm not panicking and assuming this means we will not become parents to our children but am completely bewildered as to how the process will change.
Wendy
Posted by: Wendy Faircloth | April 6, 2007 12:25 AM
Susana,
Thank you for your updates. My husband and I have signed power of attorney and have accepted a referral of a gorgeous, perfect, baby boy. After years of infertility, we met our son in Guatemala. If God came down and said he would give us a biologic child if we would trade this boy. I would tell him no, this is our son.
Please keep fighting for current adoptions to continue in a timely manner.
Posted by: Linda | April 6, 2007 09:07 PM