Argentina Senate prepares for historic vote on bill legalising abortion

Argentina is on the brink of making history as the first major Latin American country to legalise abortion. According to The Guardian, the country’s 72-member Senate will convene on Tuesday, December 29 (local time) to debate a bill that was approved by the lower house of Congress earlier this month. This bill, if passed by the Senate, will allow for abortions to be carried out up to the 14th week of pregnancy.

Pro-choice and anti-abortion campaigners are expected to gather in the plaza near Buenos Aires’ congress building on Tuesday and remain there until Wednesday when a vote is expected. According to Argentinian media outlets, the “green” camp pushing for the landmark bill holds a slender advantage over its “blue opponents. 33 senators are expected to back the legislation, while 32 are projected to vote against it. Five senators are for now undecided. 

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Backed by President Alberto Fernandez, the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina had approved the bill with 131-117 vote with six abstentions. The bill is seen as a big step forward for the legislation that could set the tone for a wider shift in conservative Latin America. Amnesty International has also welcomed the pro-abortion bill and further called in the country’s senate not to “turn its back” on women and help end clandestine abortions that risk women’s lives. 

‘better place for younger generations’

Mariela Belski, Amnesty International’s executive director in Argentina said that she was confident the “voluntary interruption of pregnancy” bill would be approved. She said that she felt overjoyed and excited about what would be the culmination of a decades-long struggle by women’s rights activists. Belski added that the day after tomorrow the country will be a much better place than before and it will also be better for younger generations. 

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Meanwhile, in recent years, the country has seen a gradual rise in agnosticism. Two years ago, during the administration of more conservative President Mauricio Macri, the Senate voted against a similar bill to legalise abortion after it was narrowly approved by the lower house. 

Last month, Argentina’s President had informed that more than 38,000 women are hospitalised yearly from poorly performed abortions and more than 3,000 have died since 1983. The new bill specifies that pregnancy can be terminated voluntarily until week 14, but the period could also be extended in cases of rape of health risk, as provided under the current legislation.

(Image Credits: AP)

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