End of the Week

When I left Mexico a week ago now, I felt hopeful that the coming week would bring lots of action and some official decisions in my brother's case.  They had finally returned to court after several weeks off, all of the evidence that my brother and his lawyer's had so painstakingly collected regarding Ana's continued lack of compliance with visits, her criminal actions, as well as those of the "ministerio publico," had all been turned in and were awaiting decisions, a new visitation schedule that would allow Carlos and Sage time uninterrupted by Ana and her hysterical rants was being set up, Sage was set up to start a new school where he would learn some English...everything looked poised to go somewhere, and I felt confident that my brother's return to solitude would be brightened soon by some good news.

Well, here we are at the end of what was supposed to be a productive week, and this is what I have to report:

1.) Initially, Ana did try to resist Sage's enrollment in this new school, which is to help him begin learning English, and is also the best, period, in Salamanca.  Thankfully, she realized quickly enough that she had no better alternative, and there was no way for her to justify anything different.  On the other hand, she and her lawyer are now making the claim to the judge that Carlos' payment of Sage's tuition constitutes an acceptance that Sage should remain in Mexico, so her sudden show of logic maybe wasn't as selfless as it might seem...I know, I know, but what else can a group of liars and kidnappers do but grasp at straws?  Carlos believes, but is unable to verify at this point, whether Sage was actually in attendance between Wednesday and today.  He should know for sure next week.

2.) Regarding the new visitation schedule, the child services people notified the court that they could not be present for a long visit on Saturday.  Frequency of visits had already been reduced when the new arrangement was proposed in court, and the long visit was supposed to make up for this.  With (supposed) "ordered" visitation already being reduced, Carlos and his lawyers decided to reject the new arrangement, electing instead to keep the currently running schedule, but specifying that Ana still not be allowed to interfere with their interaction.  His next scheduled visit is on Sunday.  If Ana doesn't show up with Sage, it will have been six weeks since my brother saw his son. 

3.) The judge has now superseded the legal limits he has to resolve submitted motions, confirming in my mind that he either is uninterested in the outcome of this case, or he is biased in terms of the outcome towards preferring either the Mexican citizen or the woman (kidnapper) in the case over the American father.  Carlos' attorney says they have some sort of legal recourse they can take, but what it seems to amount to is another amparo (appeal), or some other action that will only delay things further.  Seems like grasping at straws seems to work just fine in this court...

4.) Carlos has been sick the last few days, and I'm hoping he'll take the time to take care of himself for a bit...

And that is it, another week gone, another week that Carlos did not see Sage, another week spent in Mexico, another week that Ana, her family, and, deliberately or not, the courts, continue to break international law, and condone the loss of a father to his son.  But I guess to Ana, at least, it means little...after all, she can always just find another "Martin" to take his place, right?

Ana in Mexico with her boyfriend, shortly before kidnapping Sage, and while she was still pretending to have a normal life with her huband in N.C.