Versión Español
EspañolOn Wednesday, President of Chile Michelle Bachelet announced before Congress that she will introduce a bill to decriminalize abortion in some cases, since Chilean law does not permit the medical procedure in any circumstances.
The president said she would allow abortions of pregnancies due to rape, fetal complications, or when it threatens the mother’s life or health. “Every abortion in Chile is a sign that, as a society, we have failed in preventing such a result,” she told Parliament.
According to El País, Chile is one of the five countries in Latin America along with El Salvador, Honduras, Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua where abortion is completely prohibited. In 2012, during Sebastián Piñera’s administration, the Senate refused to even address the issue, but President Bachelet is confident that New Majority, the large coalition backing her, will approve the legislation this term.
Former President Piñera was actually one of the first to speak out against the initiative: “We must protect the life and dignity of every unborn child. We have no right to decide who lives and who dies,” he said on Twitter.
Debemos proteger la vida y dignidad de todos los niños que están por nacer. No tenemos derecho a decidir quien vive y quien muere.
— Sebastian Piñera (@sebastianpinera) May 21, 2014
Source: El País.
