Chile’s Constitutional Court Upholds Measure To Allow Abortion In Some Circumstances

Associated Press: Chile court rules in favor of abortion in some cases
“Chile’s Constitutional Court on [August 21] upheld a measure that would end the country’s absolute ban on abortions. The court’s 6-4 vote accepted the constitutionality of a measure to legalize abortions when a woman’s life is in danger, when a fetus is not viable, and in cases of rape. President Michelle Bachelet has said she will sign the measure that passed Congress this month. It will end Chile’s stance as the last country in South America to ban abortion in all cases…” (Vergara, 8/21).

The Guardian: Endgame nears in Chile president’s fight to temper draconian abortion ban
“…Chile’s long-awaited reform would secure a key legacy for Bachelet, whose current term ends in March. The former head of U.N. Women, who promised to push through the change when she took office for the second time in 2014, has faced a heavy backlash from the conservative right and the Catholic church…” (Summers, 8/16).

New York Times: Thrust Into Chile’s Abortion Fight, Woman Who Urged Change May See It
“…Prohibition has made abortion in Chile clandestine and unsafe. Last year, there were more than 30,000 abortion-related hospital discharges, according to Health Ministry statistics. The reproductive rights organization Miles estimates that 60,000 to 70,000 clandestine abortions are carried out each year…” (Bonnefoy, 8/17).

PRI: Chile eases one of the world’s strictest abortion bans
“…Chile is one of seven countries in the world that forbid abortion under all circumstances. The others are Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Vatican City, and Malta. … If anything, [the August 21] decision reflects a conversation that has been bubbling across the continent over the last few years — about whether to legalize abortion, how to deal with violence against women, and where Latin America stands on women’s rights” (Garsd, 8/22).

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