In Reversal, Guatemala Shelves Anti-Abortion Law
Earlier DU threads:
• Guatemala increases abortion penalty, bans same-sex marriage
• In reversal, Guatemala abandons anti-abortion law
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Source: New York Times
In Reversal, Guatemala Shelves Anti-Abortion Law
President Alejandro Giammattei said he would veto the bill days after his allies pushed it through the legislature, a move that surprised analysts, human rights activists and officials.
By Jody García and Natalie Kitroeff
March 15, 2022
GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemala’s congress on Tuesday shelved a bill that would have imposed up to 10 years of jail time for women who obtained abortions, an abrupt reversal that follows days of protests, legal challenges and widespread disapproval of the measure, including from a prominent anti-abortion group.
The U.S. government also expressed serious concerns about enacting the legislation, which also banned same-sex marriage, in back-channel conversations with the Guatemalan government, according to two American officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive policy matters.
The country’s president, Alejandro Giammattei, said he would veto the bill days after his allies pushed it through the legislature, a move that surprised analysts, human rights activists and Guatemalan officials.
On March 9, the day after the bill passed, Mr. Giammattei attended a ceremony declaring Guatemala the “pro-life capital” of Latin America, where he said in a speech that he believed “in respect for life from the moment of conception.”
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Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/15/world/americas/guatemala-abortion-law.html
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