Hundreds of supporters of the abortion law gathered near the Argentine Senate building. The upper house of Argentina’s National Congress has approved a bill to legalize abortion in the country, according to the Senate’s official Twitter account. 38 senators voted to approve the document, 29 voted against and one abstained.
The approved document allows abortion without medical indication up to 14 weeks. During the vote, a large crowd of supporters of the abortion law gathered in front of the Argentine Parliament building in Buenos Aires, many of whom began to cry and hug each other after the document passed. There was a heated discussion before the vote was taken.
“The executive has made a difficult but courageous decision. It would be easier to turn a blind eye and continue doing what the state has been doing for centuries. But there are abortions, and women are having abortions,” noted Senator Anabel Sagasti of the ruling Justicealist Party. “Thousands of abortions are performed every year, and every 10 days a woman dies from an improperly performed abortion. This is a public health issue. We should entrust this decision to every woman, as she is the key person here, and no one should tell her what to do,” said Senator Martin Lusto.
The participants of the demonstration in support of the law wept with joy. “If this document becomes law, it will draw so much attention specifically to abortion and its easy accessibility that it may become a cover-up for violence against women and children,” warned Senator Maria Tapia. The bill was presented to the Parliament by the President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, who noted that legalizing abortion will not only save women’s lives, but also give them the opportunity to have children in the future. Previously, abortion in Argentina was only allowed in cases of rape and when the life of the mother or fetus was threatened.
In Latin America, abortion is currently available only in Uruguay, Cuba, and Guyana. In Mexico, voluntary abortion is only available in the capital, Mexico City. In Chile, Suriname, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic, abortion is completely prohibited. In other countries, they are allowed only for medical reasons.