For adopted Guatemalans, a searcher will look for birth moms. But sometimes the reunions are fraught.

For adopted Guatemalans, a searcher will look for birth moms. But sometimes the reunions are fraught.

By definition, international adoption is a transaction between unequals. It takes desperation to relinquish a baby, and privilege to adopt one. Those disparities led to abuses in Guatemala’s adoption system that resulted in its shutdown in 2008. Unless you’re Guatemalan, you can’t adopt a Guatemalan baby now.