Rylan's Journey Home

First off, I am no legal expert but rather a mother of a Guatemalan Child trying to make sense of what is going on in that Country.  I am still gathering my facts and reading a lot of stories....so if I make an error, someone correct me!  

Guatemala is expected to become compliant with the Hague Treaty by the end of the year.  This treaty was signed by several country's some years ago so that everyone abides by the same adoption laws.  Guatemala signed the treaty but never actually become compliant with the laws.  The US has now told Guatemala either become compliant or we will no longer allow people from the US to adopt children from Guatemala after Dec 31st, 2007. 

Now the Guatemalan Congress seems to be trying to move forward with implementing some sort of system to try to become compliant, but faces resistence from the President and other legal authorities.  Because Guatemala right now provides to no support for any orphaned children, this is quite a undertaking.  As part of the Hague, no private foster care would be used.  This would mean getting orphanges up and running, staff in place, medical in place, food, other basic supplies, and also the legal components.  All the children would then be moved from foster homes, to the orphanages.  PLUS it also means budgeting money for all this...of which none has been done.  This will take a lot of time and planning.  With that said, let me go on to what is going on now.

Presidential Elections are taking place in Guatemala on Sept 9th.  Adoption or should I say Anti-Adoption Sentiment is high.  The current President Berger and his wife Wendy are Anti-Adoption.  They do not want adoptions to exist in Guatemala, yet they have nothing in place for their government to care of orphaned children.  There is NO government support for birth mothers and their children like there is here in the US.  All people of Guatemala are own their own.  No food stamps, no free milk, no assisted housing, no nothing.  They get ZERO goverment funding.  If adoptions cease, where does this leave the children of Guatemala?  What kind of poor conditions will they be made to suffer?  This may sound unbelievable to you and I, but the people of Guatemala have been believing for many years that the US adopts their children for body parts.  You heard me right, body parts.  They can't understand why we would want their children.  The only believable story they have is that we bring their children back here and "use" them to help our own...such as needing their eyes, their hearts, or whatever.

Crazy!  Life in Guatemala is very different.  People live in remote villages and in the mountains.  There are no newspapers or television.  This is a 3rd world Country.  They truly believe this.  So President Berger and his wife Wendy are exploiting this story so that they can be re-elected by shouting ANTI-ADOPTION sentiments all around Guatemala. 

Last week the Casa Quivera orphanage was raided in Antiqua, Guatemala.  There are children who live there that range from 3 days old to 4 years old - some having specific medical needs.  Most are being adopted by families through the notorial system.  Notorial system meaning that birth moms rights have been signed over to a Notary who represents all parties (Birth mom, baby, and adoptive parents).  The judicial court (judge) does not get involved unless the child is abandoned.  (this is one of the things the Hague will abolish...they want a judicial system)  Our case with Rylan currenty is under the Notorial System.  President Berger claims this is "illegal" for whatever the reason.  When in fact what he has done is illegal.  He has his people inside the orphanage and will not allow anyone to come or go.  Food supplies, baby formula and medical care is turned away.  The staff that was in the building at the time of the raid have not been allowed to leave.  They have threatened to move the children, though that has not been done yet.  Families here in the US that are adopting most of these children are beside themselves.  It has been reported that the conditions inside this orphanage are deteriorating quickly.  Sanitary conditions are becoming horribly bad.

Besides the horrible situation above, it has been reported that the police are stopping any taxi cabs with babies in them entering the hotel zone.  The police demand papers on the child in the vehicle and when documentation can't be produced, they detain them at the police station.  I can tell you the police have no interest in paperwork, what they want in order to let the foster mom and child go is money.  That's right, money!  If you can produce a couple hundred dollars, they let them go.  Now the police are exploiting this situation!

Foster moms are reportedly quitting.  They are fearful of being associated with adoptions and moving away with their  families.  Adoptive families who are living in Antiqua or Guatemala City fostering their own children while waiting for the adoptions to be finalized are being told to "stay under house arrest".  Meaning under no circumstances unless an emergency are they to take the children out of the home.  

Most believe that after the Sept 9th election things will calm down.  For me, I won't calm down until Rylan is home and each of the other children belonging to other wonderufl mothers I have come to know.  It still leaves part of me terribly sad though.  There are thousands of children needing homes in Guatemala.  So many will be left behind to a life of unknowns.  Most probably dying of starvation and illness.

Besides just simply wanting our son home, this is what I think about daily.  The stories are scary, the situation is volitile.  In my next post I will explain more on how UNICEF is hurting the children of Guatemala.  An extremely disappointing situation.....

And no, we are not in PGN yet....