In Chile, the council responsible for writing the new Constitution approved on Wednesday September 20 the concept of protection of “ the one who will be born », in opposition to the right to abortion which is now possible in the country under three conditions. The far right, as well as the right, supported this initiative which could therefore definitively prevent abortion in Chile. The left denounces a serious step backwards and warns that this proposed Constitution could be more conservative than the one currently in force, written under the dictatorship, but modified many times.
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With our correspondent in Santiago, Chile, Naïla Derroisné
Since 2017, Chile has authorized abortion in three cases: if there has been rape, if the fetus is not viable, or if the woman’s life is in danger.
A year ago, during a first attempt to rewrite the Constitution, the country went further by including the right to abortion – without conditions – and this was a world first.
But the population ended up rejecting this proposed text, and with it unconditional access to abortion.
Today, the future of the new Constitution is in the hands of the far right and the right, the majority in the editorial board.
And by 33 votes to 17, they have just approved an article to protect the life of “ the one who will be born », thus granting rights to the embryo. It is even more radical than the Constitution currently in force, written under the dictatorship.
Next December, if Chileans vote “for” this new Constitution, the law on abortion under three conditions would therefore be canceled.
In six years, nearly 4,000 women have had abortions using Chilean legislation.
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