Colombian abortion rights activists celebrated Monday in Bogota after the Constitutional Court approved the nominal abolition of abortion, lifting all procedural restrictions until the 24th week of pregnancy. pregnancy.
Fernando Vergara / AP
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Fernando Vergara / AP
Colombian abortion rights activists celebrated Monday in Bogota after the Constitutional Court approved the nominal abolition of abortion, lifting all procedural restrictions until the 24th week of pregnancy. pregnancy.
Fernando Vergara / AP
BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia became the latest country in Latin America to expand access to abortion on Monday as the country’s Constitutional Court voted to legalize the procedure until the 24th week of pregnancy. .
The decision by the nine-judge court did not match the expectations of the pro-choice groups that have pushed for abortion to be abolished entirely in Colombia. But it is still described by women’s rights groups as a historic event, with an estimated 400,000 women having secret abortions in the country each year.
Before the ruling, Colombia only allowed abortions when a woman’s life was in danger, the fetus was deformed or the pregnancy was caused by rape.
Now, women in Colombia can have an abortion until the 24th week of pregnancy without having to come up with any justification. After the 24th week of pregnancy, abortion will still face limitations.
Cristina Rosero, an attorney with the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights, an advocacy group that is one of five organisations, said: “We’ve tried to completely verify abortion … but here’s the thing. Still a historic step forward. filed a lawsuit in 2020 asking the supreme court to review Colombia’s abortion law.
The lawsuit argues that abortion restrictions discriminate against women from low-income areas, who are more difficult to obtain legal abortions, because they have less access to doctors, lawyers or health professionals. psychologists, who can help them demonstrate that pregnancy will affect their health. risk.
Rosero said the changes made to current Colombian law will make it easier for people with lower incomes to access safe abortion.
“Our challenge now is to ensure that this ruling is enforced,” she said.
Elsewhere in Latin America, Argentina, Uruguay and Cuba also allow unrestricted abortion until certain stages of pregnancy, while in Mexico a recent high court ruling said that Women cannot be tried in court for abortion.
Latin America is also a region where some countries ban termination of pregnancy without exception, such as in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
In Colombia, where most people consider it Roman Catholic, abortion has long been a controversial issue. The judges met several times to consider the petition by women’s rights groups, but did not vote on it. Meanwhile, pro-choice groups waved green flags, facing pro-life protesters dressed in blue.
Jonathan Silva, an activist with the pro-life group United for Life, said he was surprised by Monday’s decision. “We don’t understand how this happened,” he said. “But we will have to organize protests, and call on members of parliament to regulate abortion.”
A poll conducted last year in Colombia said 25% of people consider abortion a crime, while 42% disagree with that statement. In Colombia, women who have an illegal abortion can face up to three years in prison.
