Colombia Loosens Abortion Law: One Step Forward, Many More Needed

In mid-May, the Colombian Supreme Court voted in favor of allowing abortions in cases of incest, rape and if a women's life is in danger. This now leaves El Salvador and Chile as the only countries in Latin America in which abortion is illegal no matter the circumstances. While the world press credits the lawyer Maria Roa as the cause of this victory, what is missing is the fact there has been a growing women's movement developing across South America.

There are only three nations in South America and the Caribbean where abortion is legal: Cuba, Guyana and Puerto Rico (because as a colony follows U.S. laws). There has also been a growing movement to decriminalize abortions in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela and Colombia.

The sentiment is changing in this largely Roman Catholic continent. One example is Nicaragua of which a debate broke out in 2003 over the case of a 9 year-old girl who became pregnant after being raped. The Catholic Church announce the excommunication of the parents, doctor and others involved in the child's abortion. While some 20 years before this decision by the parents would have been condemned, in 2003 most Nicaraguan's where in favor and outraged over the Church's decision.

The same is true in Colombia and other nations over sentiment on abortion. In July 2004, a bill was rejected by the Uruguayan Congress to decriminalize abortion by a vote of 17-13. Uruguay, a nation of 3.3 million, has about 52,000 births each year and between 30,000 and 50,000 pregnancies are terminated. Polls also showed that 63 percent of the population were in favor of the pro-choice legislation. The pro-choice law is to be voted on again and the recently elected Socialist Party President Tabare Vazquez has announced he plans to veto the bill if passed.

Three days after the vote in the Uruguayan senate, Chile signed into law a bill legalizing divorce—one of the few countries in the world where divorce had been banned by law. Reflecting the growing involvement of women in the labor market, and thus their increasing independence from spouses for survival, many married couples would separate and live with their companions. This trend is reflected in the fact that over 40 percent of children in Chile today are born from unmarried parents. This only demonstrates deep contradictions that exist and not talked about. At the same time, Ms. Bachelet, the first female president of Chile, has said that the "possibility to legalize abotion is not part of her platform." Being part of her platform or not, it doesn't necessarily reflect a growing pro-choice sentiment.

Nonetheless, an estimated 4 million women have abortions in Latin America annually—most performed under clandestine and often dangerous conditions. Some 800,000 of these result in complications that require medical treatment. In Argentina about four out of 10 pregnancies are terminated by abortion. About 500 women die from botched abortions every year in Argentina, the largest single cause of maternal deaths in the country. In Latin America, abortions account for 12 to 30 percent of maternal deaths.