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Argentina”s Senate may be about to make history when it votes on Tuesday on whether to approve a controversial bill that would legalise abortion.
The bill, which proposes decriminalisation of elective terminations in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, has reached the final hurdle in a long-standing campaign in the homeland of Pope Francis — and this time it has the backing of the presidency.
Earlier this month, the lower house voted to pass the bill with 131 votes to 117. If it also passes in the upper house, it will become law.
Why is this a big deal?
Latin American countries are notoriously strict when it comes to abortion legislation, with only three that make it completely legal: Guyana and Cuba have widely accessible procedures, while Uruguay allows elective terminations in the first 12 weeks; this increases to 14 weeks in cases of rape.
Mexico City has also legalised abortion in the first 12 weeks — but this hugely differs to state laws in other parts of Mexico. In Guanajuato, for instance, a woman can face 30 years in prison for such an act.
Argentina is no different. The predominantly Catholic country currently prosecutes women who have abortions, and those who assist. Exemptions are made only for pregnancies where the mother’s life is at risk, or pregnancies that result from rape.
Why now?
Abortion rights in Argentina are not a new topic of discussion — there have been multiple other bills that have failed to pass — but this is a time when experts say it may actually be successful.
The last vote in the senate on such a bill was in 2018, when pressure from conservatives and the Catholic church ultimately prevailed. It was rejected by 38 votes to 31, with two abstentions.
Despite this loss, an expert told Euronews at the time that this was still a sign of progress as the bill at the very least was being considered.
“For the first time, despite having made six previous attempts in which it was not even discussed, it has been possible to debate the bill,” said Veronica Undurraga, an expert in human rights and gender studies.
“It is known that in one or two more years it will be discussed again and it will be approved in Argentina.”
What is actually different this time around?
For starters, there is a different leadership from which the response to the bill has been radically different.
Conservative Mauricio Macri was president in 2018 when similar legalisation was last voted upon — something he did not support. The bill, therefore, narrowly passed in the lower house but failed to gain vital approval in the senate.
In 2020, however, the government has since shifted left under President Alberto Fernández, who not only tabled the bill but has pushed publicly for its backing.
This being said, while there may be more support for legalising abortion than in 2018, the outcome of the vote will still be difficult to predict; it is especially true when it concerns deeply- and long-held beliefs by many in the nation.
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