Columbia Becomes the Latest North American Country To Decriminalise Abortion

Under the new law, abortion is legal in Colombia till the 24th week of pregnancy.

Columbia decriminalised abortion till 24 weeks of pregnancy on Monday, 21 February, making it the latest Latin American country to do so.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@HerreMorker)

Columbia decriminalised abortion till 24 weeks of pregnancy on Monday, 21 February, making it the latest Latin American country to do so.

This decision was taken by a tribunal of nine judges in the Constitutional Court of Columbia, ruling five against four in favour of legalising abortion.

The Colombian abortion laws have previously restricted its use to situations where the pregnant mother's life or health is at risk, where there are life-threatening malformations of the foetus, or when there is incest, rape, or nonconsensual insemination.

But under the newly enacted law, abortion will be legal in Colombia till the 24th week of pregnancy without any explanation or justification from the woman's side. After 24 weeks, abortion will still be offered, but only to women whose health is at risk.

However, this decision fell short of expectations as pro-choice groups had demanded the complete legalisation of abortion.

Earlier Cases of Abortion in Columbia

It is estimated that Colombia performs about 400,000 abortions each year, of which only 10% are legal.

Across Colombia, at least 350 women, including at least 20 under 18, were held or sanctioned for abortion between 2006 and mid-2019, according to Causa Justa, a group dedicated to women's reproductive rights, reported The Guardian.

Traditional conservative Latin America, with a powerful religious lobby led by Catholics and evangelical Christians, has some of the world's most strict abortion laws, many of which ban abortion outright.

Other Latin American Countries

Latin American countries like Argentina, Cuba, and Uruguay, allow abortion without any restrictions. The Mexico Supreme Court had decriminalised abortion the previous year.

Following this, the Ecuadorean Senate also eased abortion regulations last week, availing the provision of abortion to women who have been raped.

However, countries like El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and The Dominican Republic still prohibit abortion and have very strict laws against it.

(Inputs from The Guardian and CBC.)