Catholic Country Argentina Allows Abortion Within 14 Weeks of Pregnancy

Pope from Argentina Also Issues Message Opposing Legalization

On the 30th (local time), people cheered as a bill allowing abortion up to 14 weeks of pregnancy was passed at the Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Argentina, the homeland of Pope Francis and a representative Catholic country in Latin America, has decided to allow abortion in early pregnancy.

On the 30th (local time), according to AP News and others, the Argentine Senate passed a bill allowing abortion up to 14 weeks of pregnancy with 38 votes in favor and 29 against after more than 12 hours of marathon debate. President Alberto Fernandez, who proposed the bill, welcomed it on Twitter, saying, "Safe, legal, and free abortion has been enacted into law."

Argentina, where Catholic sentiment is strong, has strictly prohibited abortion until now. Exceptions were made for pregnancies resulting from rape or when the mother's health was at risk, but even then, most medical institutions were reluctant to perform the procedure. Women's groups demanded legalization of abortion, stating that "more than 3,000 women have died from illegal abortions since 1983," but the bill was repeatedly blocked by opposition from the Catholic community. This atmosphere changed when left-leaning President Fernandez took office in December last year and proposed the bill.

During the debate in the Senate that day, protests both for and against abortion legalization took place simultaneously in front of the parliament. Pope Francis, originally from Argentina, posted on Twitter just before the vote, "The Son of God was born abandoned to tell that all the abandoned are children of God," implying opposition to the legalization of abortion in his homeland.

With the passage of this bill, Argentina has become the largest country in Latin America to allow abortion. Since Cuba, Uruguay, and Guyana had previously allowed abortion in early pregnancy, Argentina's move is expected to further empower the women's rights movement in Latin America.

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