ARGENTINA
Of Divisions and Distractions
Argentinian lawmakers approved a bill to legalize abortion over the weekend, a move that faces strong resistance in the Catholic country, the New York Times reported.
Legislators in the lower house of Congress voted 131 to 117 in favor of the bill, making Argentina the fourth country to legalize abortion in Latin America.
The legislation will make it legal to end pregnancies up to 14 weeks – previously, abortions were only allowed in cases of rape or when it posed a risk to the mother’s life.
Civil rights activists praised the legislation even as they expressed surprise: They had feared the proposal would remain in limbo while Argentina grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, inflation and crushing debt, which has paralyzed its economy.
Critics, meanwhile, said the bill is meant as a distraction to the problems plaguing the country.
Argentine’s Senate still has to approve the bill before it becomes law: In 2018, the Senate killed an abortion bill following opposition from senators from rural and conservative districts.
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