CHILE, August 21, 2017 – In a 6-4 vote today, Chile's high court upheld a law legalizing abortion in cases of rape, danger to the mother's life, and fetal disability.
Chile, known internationally for its strong pro-life laws, has been debating legalizing abortion. Its parliament passed the bill allowing some abortions, and the country's socialist President Michelle Bachelet has promised to sign it. Bachelet was the one who introduced the legislation.
This legislation allowing some abortions is constitutional, the Constitutional Court ruled.
Planned Parenthood and Amnesty International celebrated the decision as a "victory."
"Chile has finally moved one step closer to protecting the human rights of women and girls," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International. Hopefully "this reform opens the door for them to be able to fully enjoy their sexual and reproductive rights."
As other sources previously reported:
[Chile's pro-life law] restricted abortion to exceptional cases for decades and outlawed abortion entirely in 1989 under Dictator Augusto Pinochet.
As with all pro-life countries, the law never penalizes saving the life of the mother, even if it indirectly results in the death of her child in the womb. Unfortunately, this latitude is abused by women and abortionists who claim an abortion is for the woman's health.
"The reason given is the 'right of the woman to decide,'" said Bishop Cristián Cordero of Puerto Montt as the law was being debated. "To decide on the life or death of your child? Who gave you that right?"
Legalizing abortion "contradicts the first human right that is to the protection of life … as indicated in the Chilean Constitution," he said.
Bachelet is the former executive director of the United Nations office of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
Amnesty International reported that now that Chile's pro-life law has fallen, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Suriname are the only countries left that completely protect pre-born babies from abortion.
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