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| Capitol of Argentina photo credit: Will Russell / Flickr |
The legislative body debated through Tuesday evening before finally voting 38-29 in favor of legalizing abortion at 4:00 a.m. Before this, abortion was only legal when the mother's life was at risk or in cases of rape.
Argentina President Alberto Fernández has already promised that he will sign the bill into law. He argued that because illegal abortions already occurred, it made sense to legalize abortion. “The debate is not about deciding whether or not there should be abortion,” he said. “Abortions occur in clandestine form, placing at risk the health and lives of the women who submit to them. The dilemma we must overcome is whether abortions are to be clandestine or within the Argentine health system.”
Pro-life activists from Argentina's “Blue Wave” movement are gearing on for what may be a long fight against the intentional killing of unborn children. “We are witnessing a defeat of life. But our convictions do not change,” one pro-life speaker told disappointed activists after the vote. “We are going to make ourselves heard.”
