The Senate clearly approved, Wednesday, the bill legalizing the voluntary termination of pregnancy and without conditions until the 14th week of pregnancy.
By
The howls of joy from thousands of Argentines have awakened and thrilled the entire Congress district, in the heart of Buenos Aires. On Wednesday, December 30, shortly after 4 a.m., and after twelve hours of intense debate, Argentinian senators approved with 38 votes against 29 the government’s bill legalizing voluntary termination of pregnancy (abortion). A result much more important in the end than that anticipated by the Argentinian media and political analysts, who were counting on an extremely close vote.
In the seconds following the announcement of the result of the vote, the feminist activists who waited , feverish, the verdict of the Upper House, fell into each other’s arms. Some looked taken aback, weeping bitterly, a blissful smile creeping under their masks, while others chanted elatedly famous feminist slogans like “Legal abortion in hospital!” – a song that has ceased to be. a claim and will soon be a reality in Argentina. So many cathartic reactions after a long sleepless night, while waiting for the vote in the Senate.
“I can’t believe it… It has been so long that we waited for this”, moved Clara Rios, 26, who, like her neighbors, wears a green scarf tied around her wrist, a symbol of the fight for the right to abortion in Argentina. A few minutes before the vote, the young woman and her friends gathered to follow live the speeches of the last senators preceding the vote, broadcast on giant screens. “It’s a huge victory for women’s rights. After this horrible year, finally good news!” Rejoices Lia, 38 years old. After Cuba, Guyana and Uruguay, Argentina therefore becomes the fourth country in the Latin American subcontinent to legalize abortion.
A major political victory
On the other side of the Place du Congrès, split in two by high barriers, stupor reigned in the “sky blue camp”, that of the anti-abortion workers. The activists, supported by the Catholic and Evangelical Churches, had also been strongly mobilized in recent days “in defense of life”. In an unequivocal message of support, Pope Francis, of Argentinian origin, tweeted before the start of consideration of the bill in the Senate on December 29: “The Son of God was born rejected to tell us that all rejected person is a child of God. He came into the world as a small child is born, weak and fragile, so that we can tenderly welcome our frailties. “
You have 59.07% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.