The biological father of the child that Ulises and Gloria had in foster care has started a hunger strike after last week denouncing that the Government of the Canary Islands had set them up to take the child away. "I'm not leaving here until it's resolved," says Virgilio, the biological father, who warns that he will be there "day and night."
"Children have rights, let's respect them." "They have stolen my son." "Your biological family and your foster family will fight for you." These are some of the messages that can be read at the place where Virgilio has set up, in front of the Cabildo. Both the biological and foster parents are working together to resolve the situation, as Virgilio says they are "a family." "We saw my child when we could, we have a family bond," he said.
"We fight for the protection of the child's rights," said Virgilio, who maintains that they currently "do not know where the minor is." "The child suffers from anxiety and is afraid of the unknown. He has two families, and we fight for his protection," he adds.
It should be remembered that the minor was in the process of temporary foster care with Ulises and Gloria, a procedure that is carried out to see if there are options for the child to return to his biological parents. However, this has not happened on this occasion, and Virgilio responds that this is because the Government of the Canary Islands "have not wanted to work with them." However, the biological father requests that the child return to his foster family, as there is a good relationship between both families.
Virgilio assures that the Government of the Canary Islands has "laughed" at his wife and him. "They have not bothered to monitor us, and out of the blue we go to Las Palmas to take a psychotechnical test and they took the child away in a flash," says Virgilio, recalling what happened last week when they saw the child for the last time.
In addition, Virgilio criticizes that the administration has "trampled" on them because of their personal situation. "We have disabilities and they have done everything to us, including psychological abuse," he said, and even points out that the Government of the Canary Islands told them that they were going to give the child up for adoption when his wife was receiving chemotherapy. "My wife had Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and they had the nerve to go and tell her in the conditions she was in."
In addition, Virgilio has criticized that visits to the child were managed by Aldeas Infantiles, because the social worker "did not work with them."
"He is not a child who has nothing, he was happy until that day when everything was taken away from him," said Virgilio, who demands that he return to the foster family as soon as possible. "Let people know what is happening with my child, and with many in the Canary Islands", he sentenced.
