Adoptions in Guatemala

Government of Guatemala Announcement about Casa Quivira

Bienestar Social issued this statement. It does not necessarily reflect U.S. government views but in the general interest we are posting it.

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Social Welfare Secretariat
Presidency of the Republic

Guatemala, August 20, 2007

With regard to the “Casa Quivira” home, informs that:

The Social Welfare Secretariat of the Presidency is governed by the Integral Protection Law for Children and Youth (Ley PINA) which obligates us to work under legal orders given by an appropriate Judge; and in this particular case, the instructions given by the Judges are being followed and executed according to the Guatemalan legislation.

The First Instance Court for Children and Youth of the Department of Chimaltenango, ordered on August 14th, 2007 with file number 381-2007 the intervention of “Casa Quivira”, located in Antigua Guatemala, Department of Sacatepéquez. The Judge designated the Deputy Secretary for Family Protection, Help and Rehabilitation of the Social Welfare Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic as intervener, authorizing her to take care of the children’s needs, in order to protect the health and physical integrity of the forty-six children located at that home. Therefore, the children who live at “Casa Quivira” are under the guardianship of the Protection and Help program of the Social Welfare Secretariat.

The Social Welfare Secretariat wants to clarify emphatically that the accusations related to the following topics are false:

1. Damage of the physical installation of the mentioned home.
   This accusation is false, as it can be corroborated at any time.
   
   
2. That the children are given inappropriate food and whole milk.
   This is not true. The Secretariat can, at any time prove it with the purchase invoices of the formula that the babies are consuming which was prescribed based on an evaluation made by a pediatrician and nutritionist. At the moment that the Secretariat took control of the home, no stocks of food for the babies or l materials for cleaning and hygiene were located; the necessary food and cleaning materials were provided by the Secretariat.
   
   
3. That the children have not received any medical care since Saturday, August 11th, 2007.
   Since August 15th, 2007 medical specialists and personnel from the Social Welfare Secretariat are at the home taking care of the children and preparing files, since the previous administrators did not leave any documentation, and the files that were found are being kept by the Public Ministry, which is the entity in charge of the investigation.
   
   
4. That there has been an interruption of the medicine given to the children who need it.
   This is not true; the same baby sitters hired by “Casa Quivira” are taking care of the children, under the guidance of the physician in charge.
   
   
5. That “Casa Quivira” is becoming a filthy place or “pig-sty” according to the words used by false accusers, due to the mud that the Social Welfare personnel bring in.
   The above is ridiculous, since the Social Welfare Secretariat of the Presidency is the party most interested in protecting children who are under its responsibility and in keeping the place healthy for them. The constant judicial inquiries requested by attorneys at this home, which have been realized at all hours during the day and night, have interrupted the children’s schedule.
   
   
6. 6. That Doctor Juárez has not been allowed to enter the Social Welfare Secretariat.
   The Secretariat personnel has no information that the mentioned physician had presented himself at any time; and being that physician the responsible person for the children before the intervention, it would have been logical that he would have presented himself with the children’s files to show interest for their health.
   
   

The Social Welfare Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic is well qualified to have these children in a Protection and Help Center and to take care of them by professional personnel on programs for integral attention with an expert team formed by pediatricians, psychologists, nutritionists, nurses and baby sitters.

The Social Welfare Secretariat acts according to a legal court order and the corresponding reports are sent to that judge. On August 17th, 2007, in a press conference, the Social Welfare Secretariat informed the media about the measures taken on this issue.