When did people know about the judges' strike?

....so basically, our agency rep and CRAN all must have known that this was planned, and NO ONE told us, and they had us come down on 8-17 anyway. I hold our completely imcompetent agency 100% responsibile for the emotional pain, developmental issues for my child, the risk of bankruptcy and the potential loss of my husband's job that this has caused us, not to mention the psychological toll of being apart and having to live in a foreign country for potentiall 3+ months. A warning to all: the agency is NOT on your side. They are on the BABY's side. They will withhold information, lie, and misrepresent things if they can convince themselves it is in the baby's interest. They DO NOT CARE if you go broke, become ill, lose your job, or otherwise suffer for being stuck 6-10 extra weeks in Colombia. I cannot say this strongly enough: if it is not too late for you to back out, try for another country. The process here is corrupt and you will have no recourse once they have trapped you.

I can see how much pain this is causing you. I cannot imagine how frustrating it would be to feel so stuck. Here are a few things to keep in mind: 1- Any country will have its issues and delays. 2- There have been strikes by Colombian judges before. One lasted 3 days, one lasted 2 weeks, one lasted a month. Additionally, there have been many threats of strikes that never came to fruition. It would be impossible for the agency to predict which of the above cases would happen. Additionally, the strike was/is considered illegal and therefore, many suspected it would not last long. 3- I still think that your agency was not in the right for not telling you that there was a potential strike on the horizon. This was irresponsible. You might have chosen to wait until after Sept 3 to go to Colombia. I would love a private e-mail telling me which agency to avoid. 4- If you are at risk of bankruptcy and losing your job, you can leave the baby and come home and forget the whole thing. You might also talk with your agency and see if there is a way to leave the baby at Cran and return when the courts reopen. Or, you could forget the whole thing and return the baby. Afterall, what good would it do to bring a baby home if he/she would have no home and no future. Though that option would be hard, it is in the realm of possibilities. Additionally, only one parent needs to remain in Colombia. Your husband could return home. 5- Remember most agencies warn you that the process can take up to 8 weeks. You haven't even been there a month. This kind of anger should wait until you have passed the 8 week period. Things may yet resolve and you may yet make it home before the 8 week mark. I know that there is at least 1 Italian family that has been there 90 days already. So, your situation could actually be worse.

I am so sorry to hear about all your problems! It must be so frustrating. I have heard that most people are in country for at least 2 months and sometimes more. At least you are in the company of your beautiful little daughter.

Anything involving the government is so frustrating as it is completely out of our control! Hang in there. Sending prayers that it will be over soon. Enjoy each moment with your little Megan (love the name ;). Soon, you will be home and will be missing Colombia!

I'm not sure why I should feel less anger at our agency because we're only 4 weeks into our stay as opposed to 8 or 12. If by some miracle the strike resolves tomorrow and we are done in early October, I will still recommend that no one get involved with our agency. It is a question of integrity and character. Our agency (though a long pattern of incompetent and uncaring behavior, not just around this issue) has demonstrated that it cannot be trusted.

I agree that your agency did not do its job, but the anger of encouraging people to choose another country or back out of the process is based on your agency's inability to warn you not on the process that you were told could take up to 8 weeks. I think that Colombia has amazingly few problems compared to other countries. I have heard horror stories about Russian, Kazakhstan, and other countries. You are unfortunate enough to be in Colombia during a strike. Your agency could have advised you that there was a potential for a strike. It was wrong not to do so. However, I take isssue with your comment: "The process here is corrupt and you will have no recourse once they have trapped you." The process is not corrupt. It is very open and straight forward. In fact, Hague officials have used Colombia as amodel for other countries to follow. You are being impacted by your agency and by circumstances out of their control. Strikes do not happen everyday. They may have assumed this one wouldn't have happened either, or that you would have preferred to be with your child rather than having her in foster care -- their mistake was not telling you. I still DO NOT SEE HOW THE PROCESS is corrupt. Your agency--maybe shortsighted, CRAN -- maybe overzealous, CORRUPT, NO! Is this a reason to tell people to abandon their dream of adopting from Colombia? I do not beleive so. I think you are angry, and with good reason, but I take issue with those statements.

Well, now the criminals are starting to go free because of the total lack of a judicial system in Colombia. I wonder if soon we will be trapped here living under a police state or in a war-like zone. I hear gunfire almost every night from our hotel. Our agency forced us to sign an extremely restrictive contract VERY late in the process (they gave us 4 hours on a work day to review and sign it AFTER we received our referral) that says if we are forced to abandon the adoption for any reason, we will have to pay for all her foster care until she is adopted again. So, yes, I would say we are trapped. There are 2 families here with us who were given wrong information from their agency as a result, their sentencias were declared invalid after the fact and they were forced - surprise! - to spend an additional 5-6 weeks in Colombia at great expense. Extra legal fees, etc - all forced on the family with no other recourse. One family is planning to declare bankruptcy when they return to their home country. So, I think things in Colombia might be different now than when people here last adopted. I just think people should know about the experience of those who are there now, in order to make up their minds. If I had known all this, I would have chosen a different path.

First, there is not a lack of a judicial system. There is a judicial system. It just happens to be on strike. We too let criminals out of jail but for far better reasons -- police mistakes, overcrowding, technicalities, etc. We have yet to declare our country a police state. I was recently in LA for a conference and I heard gunfire in the streets at night too. Are we one step from anarchy? Again, you were not FORCED to sign. NO ONE held a gun to your head. You could have chosen not to sign. You could have abandoned your hope of adopting from COlombia at that point. You did not. AGAIN, I think your agency leaves a lot to be desired, but COLOMBIA is not at fault for your agency, neither is your daughter. Again, this is an agency problem. I did an independent adoption, and found a problem in the declaration of adoptability for our son -- his name was mispelled. I had already taken steps -- before going to Colombia to have this remedied. The process to amend the declaration of adoptability was well underway before we picked up our son. So, when the judge for our sentencia would not accept the document. We were well prepared to have everything in order a few days later -- a simple typo that no one had noticed --- fixed -- castatrophe averted. I do not believe it was done on purpose. It delayed us 4 days -- we were staying with family so NO hotel was getting richer. It was a mistake. Fortunately, I had already noticed the error and taken steps to correct it before the judge rejected the paper. If I can do that, anyone can and should be well enough versed to be able to read the documents or pay someone to read them for you. You should be able to spot any errors that might delay your process. Personally I can't imagine leaving other people in charge of everything and hoping that they will handle it all for you. I know you pay money for that -- but I don't find other people that competent 100% of the time. This is horrible. But, in every document I signed when preparing for the adoption we were told that International adoption is unpredictable and changes can happen. A strike is unpredictable -- it sucks, but it is unpredictable. 9/11 was unpredictable -- there were families stuck in COlombia with their kids because of things that happened here. Parents should be prepared for all eventualities. It doesn't make the separation of spouse and children easier, but at least mentally you shouldbe prepared for it. I do not beleive that the PROCESS for adopting a child has changed. I think YOUR FAMILY is caught up in an unexpected strike. You have an agency that was not honest with you. Do I think that families who go down after the strike will feel the same way you do -- NO. DO I think that had there been NO STRIKE you will feel the same way NO. What makes me really sad is the horrible impression you are having of COlombia. What happened to MAKE LEMONADE. Go see the country. Take away the positive things that Colombia has to offer. Go to Villa de Leyva or Paipa for the weekend. Visit Raquira or the Museo del Sol in Sogamoso. At this point, I feel sorry for your daughter. I can't imagine what stories you will tell her of her native country. How will your inability to see this delay as a positive opportunity to learn about her country impact her image of herself and her native land. Perhaps, you are not prepared to adopt a child from COlombia. Perhaps, like it or not, you do not love Colombia. This dislike and anger will reflect in your attitude toward her and her culture. So, take a minute to reflect on the value of the experience. Go to a church, talk to people, be adventurous. I can't imagine spending 8 weeks locked up in a hotel because of fear. Colombia is NOT THAT SCARY. Join with other families and go out. Go to the National Museum, the GOld Museum, the Botero museum, the Casa del MOneda, Monserrate -- all in Bogota. Talk to people. You'll find that Colombians are awesome people. They are typically NOT OUT TO GET YOU. Go to eat at Crepes and Waffles and just start asking the people at tables around you if they speak English. If you find someone, talk to them about your difficulties and ask them what they would recommend that you do to fill you time and learn about Colombia. You may make amazing friends. If you need the name of a great translator -- and fellow mother, PM me. I can hook you up. She is cheaper than the agency one too. But, stop feeling sorry for yourself. It does suck to be in your position. NO ONE can deny it, but being upset and angry will not help you. It will change nothing and will only make you more and more unhappy.

I truly hope you and your family are safe and sound throughout your stay in Colombia. But, I have to say I would give anything to be stuck in Colombia with my baby right now. I have a looong road ahead of me waiting and dreaming about meeting my little one. I agree that maybe to make lemonade out of lemons you could try your best to enjoy the country? Maybe frustration in getting the better of you right now. You agency deserves a swift kick in the you know whatӔ. In fact, my last agency who basically went out of business and left a lot of families scrambling also deserves a swift kick in the you know whatӔ. Try to remember what it was like during your long slow wait. Then look at your baby and know that she is worth it. I realize that it is easy for me to say this as I am safe and sound in my homeland, but I would trade places with you in a heartbeat! I will be sending you my prayers for a safe and swift return home.

Sumerce, Your points have some merit, but you have no business casting aspersions on our parenting ability or our commitment to our daughter. No matter how intemperate your outbursts are, we would never say such things about you. We have nothing at against the people of Colombia, most of whom are just as appalled at the current state of affairs as we are. I can't speak for my wife on this point, but as a union member (for university faculty), I understand that strikes are sometimes necessary. I am in sympathy with the judges' plight, since, if news reports are correct, some of them are working under conditions that my union also considers exploitative: "temporary" contracts that last years, lack of job security, etc. At the same time, I also recognize that poor labor-management relationships are usually the result of a history of bad faith on both sides. Our anger is toward our US adoption agency and its Colombian associates, not toward the people of Colombia or the strikers. Our agency has behaved with a pattern of incompetence, arrogance, and lack of caring for us and for the children it places.

I think that is what I was trying to point out. YOUR PROBLEM IS WITH YOUR AGENCY! However comments like: " I wonder if soon we will be trapped here living under a police state or in a war-like zone. I hear gunfire almost every night from our hotel." and "I cannot say this strongly enough: if it is not too late for you to back out, try for another country. The process here is corrupt and you will have no recourse once they have trapped you." Do not reflect your real problem. They reflect a disdain for Colombia, the process, and the people. As a Colombian family, I took offense to your statements. My own family lives there and no one has expressed concerns over a police state or a war zone (and by the way there are parts of Colombia that are already a war zone). While I did not mean to question your parenting, I did mean to question your feelings about your daughter's native land. The above statements illustrate why that would concern me. I was hoping to point out that there is still much that can be done and much to learn about Colombia and its people. I had hoped to point out that by allowing the anger over your agency to fester, you will leave Colombia with a "bad taste" in your mouth. I have to wonder what stories you will tell others in the presence of your baby. While she is an infant, never underestimate the feelings that you would create in her about Colombia and its people. Americans tend to like to tell everyone their ABROAD HORROR STORIES -- I think they like the "ah, you poor thing reaction." Will her adoption story take on that feel? I was hoping not, and hoping that instead of dwelling on your agency's problems, you could take on the challenge of developing a love for Colombia, its people and its beauty. Take advantage of it. Take the challenge of never telling the horror story -- especially in front of your child. Tell her of the beauties of COlombia and the love that brought you to her and her to you. I would hate to think she would feel that you felt it was a mistake to pick her up because you were delayed by a few weeks. Imagine how your words might be translated into a child's mind, "They were put out and wished they hadn't come to get me." Kids understand more than you think -- really! They understand the vibes they get from you. NOw, I do not know if you ever planned to talk about your concerns in her presence, but if you tell others and make a big deal -- someone may someday share it with her. You may think they won't, but they will. We had a domestic adoption where at some point I complained to my sister about a birth father issue. One day, out of the clear blue -- 7 years later -- my sister told my son about it. WHY? Who knows? I had forgotten about it. It caused my son distress, he started asking questions that he shouldn't have had to worry about or concern himself with. So, protecting your child's feelings about herself and her adoption actually starts NOW. It starts with the story you tell others. It starts with the story you tell her. I am not questioning your love or dedication -- just perhaps your prudence. I am hoping to open you up to thought about things you may not have considered. Your adoption story is life long. Are you going to tell her, "We were horribly put out and had to be in COlombia -- a near police state -- for extra weeks just to get you." Or will you say, "We were so blessed to be able to pick you up and we were blessed to be able to see so many things in your home land. We met these people -- here look at the picture. They helped us when things seemed so bleak because we couldn't speak the language and needed help. We were grateful for every extra minute that we had with you. You are the light of our lives and someday, we cannot wait to take you back to Colombia so that you can see what a beautiful place and what beautiful people brought us to you." However inadequately I may have expressed this in the last message, I do hope that real meaning of what I am trying to say -- and the love I feel for Colombia and its people -- and even its berraco judicial system comes through. I love Colombia and my son loves COlombia. He loves to hear me sing the National Anthem to him. He loves to eat arepas and drink Chocolate. He loves to hear me tell stories of Pedro Pascasio Martinez the child hero of the COlombian independence. He loves to see pictures of the 2 of us at the Gold Museum as I tell him about the Chibchas. He loves to wear his Boyac Chic soccer jersey. He loves me to read to him in Spanish. Maybe you will not do all those things, but while you are stuck in COlombia -- find something that you will love to share with your child and learn something that will help your child feel connected to a beautiful country with beautiful traditions. Have the kitchen staff teach you to make arepas. Go to Villa de Leyva -- a UN World Heritage site. You can buy fossils there that would be a great thing for a memory box. Just remember it is all about her and being able to meet her needs someday. PLease forgive me if I offended -- I did not mean to. I certainly feel for your situation and I am still hoping you will PM me the name of your agency so that they can be avoided in the future. I do hope that you can understand the message I was trying to send.

Bea Mom & Dad,We were in Colombia for 9 weeks, so I truly "feel your pain" and know that you are homesick and needing to get back to work, etc.. I'm so sorry for the situation with the judge's strike, and will truly be praying that it will be over very soon. Let me just encourage you to try your best to stay positive and to enjoy your time with Maggie. Getting stressed out and upset will not make the time go by any faster, and will just make things worse, as I had to learn. If you are able to do some sightseeing/traveling, I think that would be a good diversion. Traveling outside of Bogota will give you some fresh air and a change of scenery. Villa de Leyva or Giradot might be good options, or if you're up for a short flight, Cartagena is beautiful. Have you been to any of the malls? Andino and Atlantis are both very very nice, as nice as anything you'd find in the states (maybe even nicer!) and Atlantis has a movie theater with movies in English (Spanish subtitles) and a Hard Rock Cafe! Have you been to Monserrate, Zipaquira (salt cathedral) or the botanical gardens? I'm just trying to think of some of the things we did to help pass the time away. I don't know if you guys are church-goers or not, but we found the "United Church of Bogota" to be a great place of encouragement. The service is entirely in English and we met many Americans there who were very friendly and helpful. It might be a good way to make some friends and be uplifted during your stay in Colombia. The main thing is that you are at last united with your daughter and hopefully looking at that sweet smile of hers every morning will remind you that no matter how hard this situation is, she is worth it!! Please hang in there and do not lose heart!

I wish we could afford to do any of those things. I can afford one meal a day right now. I cannot afford taxis. Our hotel costs 140,000 a night. It sounds like most of the people on this forum are significantly more wealthy than my husband and I. We expect to be here for 2-3 more months based on what is being reported about the strike, so we are trying to ration what money we have accordingly. I cannot expend any more energy on posting about our experience in this forum, since people seem determined to tell me that our experience is not happening or is not true. I have to conserve my energy to merely surviving here in Bogota. I hope we can continue to afford formula and diapers in the next months.

Bea-mommy, First of all, I am so sorry that you have had to go through this. It is completely unfair. However, I don't think anyone was trying to say that your experience wasn't happening or wasn't true. Many of us are very aware that this turn of events is causing stress, heartache, financial strain, and, MOST TRAGICALLY, uncertainty for the children involved. Your frustration is certainly warranted. But it has manifested itself as anger at Colombia and adoption, and people may have been genuinely hopeful that you could try to see this situation as the unexpected (and rare) bad break that it is (i.e., the type of thing that could happen to delay any international adoption in any country) and be encouraged to think positively. That being said, it is completely understandable that you are not interested in finding the bright side. I'm sure nobody would be cheery in your situation. You have every right to your emotions, and you do need to focus your energy on getting your family through this tough time. I am very sorry that this situation, your agency, the distance separating you and your husband, and all the other worries associated with the adoption experience have caused you so much pain. It would be too much for anyone to bear with a smile. You have my prayers and support. I'm not trying to speak for other posters, but I suspect that each and every one of them intended to be supportive. My initial reaction when I read your first post was to try to point out the positive too, but now I understand that the best we can do right now is agree that the whole thing sucks. AJ