Shady Child Adoptions in
Guatemala
GUATEMALA -
Guatemalan financial
authorities detected
several cases of money
laundering related to
irregular procedures for
child adoption by US
families, sources
revealed on Tuesday in
this capital.
The Special Verification
Quartermaster Corps (IVE),
in charge of
investigating suspicious
bank transactions,
reported that at least
$12 million were
transferred to the
county to pay lawyers
and other people related
to these procedures.
According to the report,
there are around 85
money orders bought by
around 50 US agencies,
the transference
services of which said,
for example: "first
payment for the child,
second payment for the
7-year-old boy in
process," and similar
others.
The amounts fluctuated
between $20,000 and
$30,000 and at least 40
Guatemalans were
detected among the
recipients, 20 of whom
were notaries, the IVE
said.
According to the local
laws, money laundering
is committed when sums
of money are received as
a result of an illegal
or irregular action.
Up to late 2007, 4,000
Guatemalan minors were
given up to adoption to
foreign families, mostly
from the United States,
arousing criticism from
national and
international
organizations.
Those organizations said
many women ere convinced
to sell their newborn
babies to meet their
needs, or babies were
just robbed and their
identities changed.
To stop this market, the
government created the
National Adoption
Council, a single entity
with legal power to
authorize giving up a
child for adoption.
The Council decided on
September 9 to suspend
international adoptions
for an indefinite
period, and give
priority to applications
by couples of Guatemalan
origin that do not have
to pay any money for the
necessary procedures. |
