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GUATEMALAN ADOPTION MILLS CONTINUE TO CHURN OUT CHILDREN FOR INTERNATIONAL MARKET AS LEGISLATION STALLS.

Article Excerpt
Among the chief causes of Guatemala's legendary widespread violence is the recurring theme of child stealing. This past April saw the lynching of a man and a woman accused by an enraged mob of attempting to steal local children. Some 5,000 locals of the municipality of Sumpango Sacatepequez witnessed and encouraged the lynchings. At the root of the accusations is the ease with which children and infants can be sold into adoption mills run or financed by powerful people who have for years been able to prevent meaningful legislation that would end these practices.

In October 2004 Guatemala was called the worst country in the world for adoption practices at a forum sponsored by UNICEF. Rosa Maria Ortiz, a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, said at the time that the lack of legislation had allowed the practice to grow into a profitable business.

Amnesty International (AI) says the adoption trade dates back to the days of the 36-year civil war that ended in 1996. The orphans of thousands of people murdered by troops and others in the state national security apparatus became the spoils of war. These children became the domestic servants of the upper classes or were sold to child traffickers. The traffickers eventually developed the adoption racket and expanded the means of obtaining children to include direct kidnapping and deception of unsuspecting but desperately poor mothers.

These new means survived the war and mushroomed as childless North Americans and Europeans increasingly discovered quick, easy, and relatively uncomplicated international adoption. Nearly 90% of the adoptions are by US citizens. In 1996 there were 427; in 2005 the number had grown to 3,783, say UNICEF records.

It is easy to qualify. Any couple or single woman is eligible to adopt in Guatemala. All that is needed is money. Secretary-general of the Procuraduria General de la Nacion (PGN) Rene Chinchilla Barrientos put the current price at between US$15,000 and US$30,000. Most...

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