Guatemala Adoption Law Passed-NOT GOOD!!!

Please read the link to the left...5000 Orphans and respond to the requests!!!

Thank you!!!!!!

UPDATE ABOUT THE Guatemala ADOPTION LAW
Even though the discussion of the Ortega Law (Bill 3217), was not in yesterday’s agenda for the Guatemalan Congress, through a privileged motion, the Patriot Party tried to introduce the Ortega Law for its third and last reading in the agenda of the session. Many congressmen supported such proposal, but disagreed on certain details, which created a heated discussion between congressmen and congresswomen of the two political parties who will compete for the presidential elections in November. Shouting, feet stomping and mutual accusations took place. Pablo Duarte, a congressmen of Guatemala City mayor’s political party, put an end to the discussion, when he pointed out that this law is way to important as to be used for electoral purposes and that it would be better if it is discussed and voted after the elections, in November. After he talked, many congressmen left the building and the voting did not take place, and neither did the approval of two important loans. It seems that the Ortega Law will be included in next week’s agenda.

The arguments of the congressmen, screamed by the most vocal of them, were that the birth mothers are selling the fruits of their bellies, the lawyers are profiting from the adoptions and that who knows what life awaits those children who are being adopted by foreigners, who are taking away the future of out country and similar misconceptions. They did not mention that Bill 3217 has 86 amendments and even after that radical makeover, it is still unconstitutional in more ways than one and if it is passed, without the necessary funds and staff to do what the lawyers are doing now, the fate if the children will be terrible. Maria Reinhardt, who is the proponent of the most stupid proposal, that intends – without any state funding - to monitor, control and close down homes for temporary care of abandoned children, complained that the Hague people made the effort of coming all the way down here, to analyze the Ortega Law and that Guatemala owes them to pass the law according to the changes that they suggested.

The other proposal, 3635, was not even mentioned, not even by thee congressmen who presented it. The reason is that it is not known and nobody wants to pay the political price of supporting a proposal that does not have the support of the US DOS, the Hague, and UNICEF. That is too bad, because the Ortega law will be brought again to the congress tomorrow. We cannot just watch how the lives of the children of Guatemala are sacrificed and do nothing about it. JCICS, FOA and Families Without Borders are campaigning to bring home the transition cases, but only FOA is strongly supporting Bill 3635. Focus on Adoption is formed by the most experienced adoption agency directors, and adoptive parents. Many of the adoptions agency directors are adoptive parents themselves, and they know better than anybody in the US, what the future of the children would be, because they have first hand knowledge of the living conditions of the poor people in Guatemala, after countless trips to Guatemala and lots of time spent in the countryside of Guatemala doing humanitarian work, enduring the hardship that only the truly committed would. The FOA members have analyzed the Bill 3635 and concluded that it is a good law, that presents a reasonable alternative to the Ortega Law.



LAST NEWS

The dreadful Ortega law was approved by Congress in its third reading today, Wednesday October 3rd. 2007. The final reading and actual approval will be next Tuesday. ADA is meeting with all lawyers and adoption agencies representatives this Saturday to present the emergency plan. Constitutional challenges are being prepared and we are ready do to everything that is necessary to get the transition cases home and adoptions open for the children of Guatemala. The law could take thirty days to become effective, but it could take more time. It is still undecided.

There is no question that there is a way to make millions of dollars with adoptions. Simply by making them impossible, UNICEF is rewarding our president with a 28 million donation for this accomplishment, with the complicity of the congressmen. UNICEF is using the money of the taxpayers of the First World to eliminate poverty in our Third World country, by eliminating the children of the poor, because as the UNICEF delegate said: the underdevelopment of a country begins in the uterus of a poor woman. Genocide is not a crime of war. UNICEF is showing us how it can be done, without any risk for the perpetrator. We will not remain silent while they do it. That is a promise.

ADA asks of those of you who would want to help adoptions in Guatemala to join your efforts to ours. Contact your adoption agency and they will let you know what can be done.

copied from the ADA site