December 20, 2007
The President of Guatemala, President Oscar Berger, has announced that as of January 1, 2008 intercountry adoptions will be suspended. On this date the Hague Convention will go into force in Guatemala and all adoption cases will be required to meet Hague standards. This will include all cases in process and those filed prior to this date.
Guatemala will not be processing any adoptions cases for non-Hague countries, which includes the United States as the Hague does not go into force in the U.S. until April 1, 2008.
In addition, all adoption cases that are pending will be suspended. A suspension, according to the Joint Counsel on International Children’s Services, would leave over 5000 children in limbo going to niether a family or a reliable system of care in Guatemala.