guatemala900

The Guatemala 900 is starting a campaign for the hogar Semillas de Amor immediately.  The campaign involves contacting YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES  in an attempt to ensure due process for the children of Semillas de Amor, who are having a judicial hearing in Chimaltenango on December 4th.   It is likely that the Semillas de Amor hearings will set some judicial precedent for the other hogars that are under investigation in the months to come.

The following is a sample text that can be used in any phone call, faxes, and emails that you make to your Congressional Representatives follows.

Remember, we are asking our reps to contact the people at the Dept. of State.  WE SHOULD NOT CONTACT THE DOS OURSELVES FOR THIS CAMPAIGN.

The sample text to your Congressional Representatives :

” I am contacting you out of deep concern of the state of “grandfathered” adoptions in Guatemala that were started years ago and the lack of due process that they are now encountering.   18 adoptions from the Semillas de Amor orphanage have  a “final” court hearing on December 4th.   I ask that you contact our Dept of State (see contact information below) and ask them to speak directly with Guatemala’s PGN to encourage PGN to abide by the law and to move forward with grandfathered adoptions from Semillas de Amor orphanage.  (PGN is the equivalent of our Attorney General, and the key decision maker in the old system and for grandfathered adoptions.  PGN is the single roadblock for moving forward in processing these cases).

Most of these cases have been fully investigated and approved by Guatemala’s MP (the equivalent of our FBI).  The PGN has delayed processing, even on cases with MP approvals in place.    At the December 4th hearing, support from the PGN are needed for these cases to move forward (ie: comply with the agreement to grandfather these cases).  Without that opinion, all of these children will face at least another year of temporary orphanage care as the case languishes in court processes.  Eighteen adoptions are included in this hearing, but many more adoptions by US families will follow as others orphanges will have future hearings as well.

Kay Anske (Consul General at the Embassy in Guatemala City) and Michele Bond (Deputy Assist Secretary for Overseas Citizen Services) are very familiar with these cases, and have been monitoring them passively.  But we need them to specifically insist that PGN adhere to the grandfathering process in advance of the upcoming court date.    I ask that you contact them and ask for this help.

If you need the contact information for Kay Anske or Michele Bond, please email gjc@garyjcooper.net or call 917-969-0203  .

Sincerley,
<YOUR NAME>