Over the course of the last five years international adoption from Guatemala has escalated. In 2006 4,235 children came to the United States from Guatemala. Now the country of Guatemala would like to close adoption to the U.S.

In a country where illiteracy is 80% and no social services are provided what will become of those 4,000 children?

The Guatemalan government, under President Oscar Berger has sighted baby stealing as a reason to discontinue U.S.

adoptions. UNICEF has stated that 40% of the women who give their children up for adoption repeat that process. Insinuating that the birth-mothers are getting paid. In a country with 80% illiteracy these women know nothing about birth control. They can't read or write, how can they possibly understand contraception?

The government has now ordered a second DNA test, previously a DNA test was performed at the beginning of the adoption. Now a second DNA test is required at the completion of the adoption. DNA does not lie.
As with any government agency, the adoption system in Guatemala may be ripe with misconduct.

People will suffer if Guatemalan adoptions are discontinued. The Guatemalan attorneys will suffer since they make a great deal of money from the adoptions, but they won't starve. The prospective adoptive parents may never realize their dreams of holding their child in their arms, but they will live. The Guatemalan foster parents will lose their jobs because the attorneys won't pay them to care for unadoptable children. But in the end those who will suffer most will be the children, some will die at birth do to lack of prenatal care, some will starve to death and some will beg in the streets never knowing the love adoptive parents could have given them. With no social services available why would a government that doesn't care for their children begrudge a country with parents who will?

Learn more about this author, Cindy Benner.
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