[lou0728]

Yep. You read it right. Today it was in all the papers. Monday the Attorney General of Guatemala officially announced that all in process adoptions are suspended for at least a month. A month. 30 days. At least. Now, all in all I know a month isn't the end of the world. Do you want to know what IS bothering me?? Our government. Our country. Earlier this year our Department of State entered into a GOOD FAITH AGREEMENT with Guatemala. This agreement allows all grandfathered in cases to proceed under the old laws. Guatemala isn't keeping up their end of the deal. They are changing the rules. Big time. We all know that the system in Guatemala needs revamping and a COMPLETE overhaul. The thing is though, they CAN'T do it with cases that are SUPPOSED to be allowed to come to completion under an already defined process. The new attorney general of Guat. is trying to change the process already agreed upon by both countries. What is OUR country doing to help the situation? NOTHING. NADDA. ZERO. ZILCH. As citizens of the USA we have the RIGHT of protection and intervention of the US DOS. They should be raising all heck about what Guatemala is doing. Instead they are washing their hands of us. They have betrayed us. They have left us out to dry. UNACCEPTABLE. To those of you with your children home please don't think that this doesn't affect you. IF we want US citizens to continue offering our homes to orphans from throughout the world we have to have politicians who stand WITH us. Who stand behind us. Who fight for us. IF Guatemala gets away with this now they will continue to throw up hurdle after hurdle to hang onto these last cases. They are using our CHILDREN as political pawns, and I WILL NOT HAVE IT. I will not stand idly by and do nothing while THOUSANDS of children in Guatemala are waiting for their mommies and daddies. Every adoptive parent owes it to their children to continue the fight for their siblings, cousins, friends, and countrymen. I am working on a plan as we speak to bombard the US government with SPECIFIC emails and phone calls DEMANDING immediate action from OUR DOS. This is the time we all HAVE to stand together. If you are interested in helping fight to get my daughter (and many more children) home email me at lou0728@yahoo.com.
Are you standing with me?

Do not go gentle into that good night.Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas

[kzwief]

Lou, I'm with you! Let's band together and not let these delays continue to keep us from our children. Let us know what you have planned!

[bogeydog]

Lou,

Having adopted 3 children from Guatemala, the most recent last month, I feel with you. I have been pounding the drums since last fall about the lack of support from the US Gov't when GT was thinking abot changing the laws. It was obvious that the US pressured the GT Gov't to make the changes and then cut and ran once they did. The US doesn't want to look like the bad guy so they keep pointing fingers at GT. It is like the smart kid leading the dumb kid into trouble and then running and blaming it on the dumb kid. This has been talked about and talked about on the other site(s). I was ignored and chatised here, accused of jumping the gun, etc. Now, more than ever, it has come true. The point of my post is that I agree with you, but this isn't a secret or new discovery. It has been going on for some time. I hope you can get some traction and aupport here because quite frankly I didn't in the fall throughout the winter. Let me know how I can help. I must have called and sent out 100 letters, etc.

[wildboyz2]

I'm in. What do you want me to do?

[isabella123]

Me too. At this point I'm in for the fight of a lifetime to get my daughter home!

Let me know...

[newnan]

Did you see the post on Guatadopt?? I know nothing has been confirmed yet, but looks like for now they are just speaking of the birthmom being interviewed that were signed off by the old regime..Also, does anyone know if the 30 days is starting as of when?? They have already been in office over 2 weeks, right??

[giovanni7460]

I have 2 sons from Guatemala. My oldest is a Hague baby. I know what hell I went through not knowing if he would ever come home. It was the worst nightmare I have ever had. SO I AM IN. Please let me know how I can help.
Patty

[As51598]

I am in! I want to bring my boy home. This process has been hell for me. We adopted from Russia and it went so much smoother and shorter than this. I assumed Guatemala was easier. I was so wrong. This whole process has been so crazy. One delay after another. What can we all do?

[cbmstephanie]

My thoughts will always be with the children and with the PAP's that so dearly want them home. Count me in!

[prayingmommy]

I am in. I've had enough.

[HopeandaPrayer]

I am way ahead of you Lou, I have already written to The Us Embassy In Guatemala, one of my Senators, (will write the other one tomorrow as well as my congressman), and the Joint Council. I also left a message with the Joint Council yesterday and got a return call bright and early this morning about what they are doing in response to this mess. They are working on it. The girl I spoke to me told me they were working on a post that would be put up today which it was and she also told me that their director was in the process of writing a letter to PGN.

I knew, just knew, that they would be conducting birthmom interviews and of course my suspicions have come to fruition. I am glad the attorneys have filed an amparo and as an attorny I completely agree that if there IS NO GOOD CAUSE they should not be interviewing the birthmom. If, however, they have reason to suspect that there is something wrong then maybe they would be justified in doing an interview. The only problem with that of course is that there will have to be a clear definition of "JUST CAUSE" or they will be able to manufacture "just cause" anytime they please. I wish I was less cynical but I trust my gut and it has never failed me. I knew this change at PGN was going to cause delays and probably would be a bad for us and I was right. I can only pray with every fiber of my being that our little girl comes home to us. I think over 5 months in PGN is plenty!

Terri

[Bebe2007]

I am with you all.

Yvette

[DeeVee]

I'm with you. I e-mailed you earlier.

[babyme]

Im in- let me know

[stephjoel99]

Lou, as a parent with a child home, I would be happy to write anybody - I know for fact I will be writing my US Senators and Congresspeople to implore them to put the feet of the US State Department and the US Embassy to the fire.

Those 2 entities essentially brokered the deal b/w the adoption community and the Guatemalan gov't - and they can't just wash their hands of us now. Like you said, parents entered into these "good faith agreements" with the gov't of Guatemala and our State Dept. has an OBLIGATION to represent parents' interests in the region. And the Embassy should be doing everything in its power to see that things complete as they were promised they would.

If birth mother interveiws were not STANDARD before 12/31, then they should NOT be occuring now. There should be no 30 day PGN suspensions unless 30 day suspensions were common before 12/31. And there should be no DNA requirements from Guatemala if they were not required on their side pre 12/31. NOTHING should be added or changed, aside from Central Authority registration. Nothing. And it is the RESPONSIBILITY of our government to protect these 2,000+ legal adoptions that were entered into in good faith by US citizens.