Guatemala Adoption Officials Resign
By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA - 8 hours ago

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) -- Two members of Guatemala's adoption board agreed
to step down Wednesday, ending a legal battle to keep their posts and
allowing the country's adoption reform measures to move forward.

In a phone interview with The Associated Press, National Adoption
Council member Anabella Morfin said she and Marvin Rabanales had
decided not to fight their removal because they felt there was no way
to win.

"It is clear the Supreme Court decisions are politically motivated,
and we realized that it was a legal battle that was lost from the
start," Morfin said Wednesday.

Their replacements, Elizabeth Hernandez Guerra and Concha Maryllis
Barrientos, will begin their new jobs Wednesday, said government
spokeswoman Wendy Ruano.

"Our main interest is, and has always been, that the council begin
working as soon as possible," said Ronaldo Robles, another government
spokesman.

Both were named to the council late last year, but then fired by new
President Alvaro Colom. They had appealed their dismissals and vowed
to keep working.

In response, the government withheld $1.3 million in funding to the
council. The lack of funds left in limbo some 2,500 pending adoptions,
mostly to U.S. couples.

The council will oversee all adoptions as well as a reform effort
aimed at improving a poorly regulated adoption system dogged by
allegations of stolen babies and mothers coerced to give up children.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gIW67GSOP-zwIvoNj0Jo1M1TmWXwD8UKVH6G0

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