Argentine President "Will Propose Bill to Legalize Early Pregnancy Abortion"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Alberto Fernandez, President of Argentina, announced that he will propose a bill to legalize abortion, foreign media reported on the 1st (local time). Argentina is the homeland of Pope Francis and a Catholic country where abortion is strictly prohibited.

According to reports, President Fernandez said in a parliamentary speech on the day, "Within the next 10 days, I will submit a bill to legalize abortion in the early stages of pregnancy." He added that sex education and contraception education will also be conducted simultaneously.

In Argentina, abortion is only allowed in cases of pregnancy due to rape or when the life of the pregnant woman is at risk. A bill to legalize abortion up to 14 weeks of pregnancy was passed in the lower house but was rejected in the upper house. Argentina is showing movements to become the first country to legalize abortion in the Latin American continent, where most countries are Catholic.

President Fernandez said, "The current abortion-related law is not effective," adding, "Many women have no choice but to undergo abortion procedures secretly, which can be life-threatening in severe cases." The Ministry of Health estimated in 2016 that 500,000 clandestine abortion surgeries are performed annually in Argentina.

As the legalization of abortion is being pushed again, it is expected that the controversy between supporters and opponents will intensify once more. In Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, thousands of women took to the streets on the 19th to demand the legalization of abortion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.