Colombian Kidnapped Babies Website Provides Evidence of Child Trafficking for Adoption

This website  links to many news stories and youtube investigatory pieces about children allegedly being trafficked through the government adoption authority, ICBF. The site’s author pleas with prospective adoptive parents to not adopt from Colombia due to the evidence he has uncovered. He reported some of his findings to the Colombian president in January 2011.

The site claims to have “63 concrete cases of kidnapping of babies in Colombia, thru the Icbf, a governmental instituion.”

Many in the adoption community have said for years that the Colombian program is highly ethical and corruption-free. Unfortunately, this stance is contradicted by the information on this website. Rally welcomes comments from those who have more information.

The site goes on to outline ways that the mafia is involved:

“Five ways through which this Mafia kidnaps babies and sells them under the figure of Adoption:

1. Officials from Icbf arrive to the home and tell the mother, grandmother or caretaker, that they have to give the baby Nestlé “Nan” milk, which is very expensive, because they say the baby is malnourished. The officials leave and return in 15 days and aks to see the milk cans and of course, there are no cans, because they have not purchased the milk, they barely eat meat once a week, because of poverty. So, the officials take the baby and say that they will return her in a month or two. The family will never see the baby again. VIDEO of baby Leidy Monsalve’s grandmother imploring to get back her granddaughter, in Spanish

2. When the mother gives birth at the hospital and is ill, and has to stay hopitalized, Icbf officials show up like vampires, and take away the baby. When the mother recovers and claims her baby, nobody gives her an explanation, See video of the news on tv, in Spanish.

3. Icbf officials show up at a home and tell the parents of numerous families with 5 or 7 children, that they will take the children away because they maltreat them. We have seen that it is false they maltreat their children. In fact in Irma’s case, they took her 7 children, forensics confirmed that the children were not maltreated, in spite of that, her seven children were given for adoption. Irma is under psyquitric treatment.

4. When a single mother has a financial crisis, and she asks Icbf to care for the children for a few weeks. When the mother recovers and goes back to claim her children, Icbf will tell her that she is able to care for her children. She will never see her children again and the children are sold for adoption. See VIDEO of the cases of 2 mothers whose 6 children were take by a single Icbf official: Mrs. Aura Elena Rojas and Mrs. Linda Patricia Diaz, in Spanish.

5. When a young single mother goes to the hospital and gives birth, the social worker at the hospital will inquire about the mother. If she sees she is vulnerable, they will take the baby away even by force. The young mother will never see her baby again. The baby will be registered before a Notary Public as abandoned.”

According to a 2010 article : “Adoption in Colombia relies heavily on foreign families. Of the 1,510 children successfully adopted this year, 972 went to foreign parents and 538 to Colombians, according to El Tiempo.”

The DOS FY2010 US statistics show that there were 235 adoptions from Colombia, making it the 8th most popular sending country. Colombia has placed approximately 200 to 350 children per year for the past several years.

US Agencies

Lastly, it’s hard not to forget about the JCICS November 2007 notes about how “difficult” Colombia was being by not charging for domestic adoptions:

“A Columbia [sic] caucus has been formed and will be having a conference call to discuss difficult provisions within the new regulations. (eg. Adoptions for Columbian [sic] nationals are to be free of charge).”

Colombia is a Hague Convention country.

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