Key points
- Dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1989 repealed a law allowing abortions on health grounds
- Frente Amplio (Broad Front) party faces an uphill battle to get the bill through parliament
- Decriminalising abortion under all circumstances is a long-standing demand of feminist groups in Chile
- 50pc Chilean believe terminations should only be allowed in special cases: poll
SANTIAGO, Chile: Chile’s government said Wednesday it had introduced a bill in Congress to legalise abortions up to 14 weeks of pregnancy, a key pledge of left-wing President Gabriel Boric during his 2022 election campaign.
In Chile, abortions are only permitted for three reasons: a threat to the life of the mother, serious malformation of the foetus, or rape.
“Thirty-six years after therapeutic abortions (terminations due to medical necessity) were banned in our country… we are opening the debate in Congress,” Minister for Women Antonia Orellana told reporters.
“A total ban”
She was referring to dictator Augusto Pinochet’s 1989 repeal of a law allowing abortions on health grounds, which ushered in a total ban on terminations for over 25 years.
Thirty-six years after therapeutic abortions (terminations due to medical necessity) were banned in our country… we are opening the debate in Congress.” – Minister for Women Antonia Orellana
The bill unveiled by the government on Wednesday comes a year after Boric announced plans to decriminalise all abortions.
His minority Frente Amplio (Broad Front) party faces an uphill battle to get the bill through parliament, with the conservative opposition vehemently opposed to expanding abortion rights.
“Naive” to think
Orellana admitted it would be “naive” to think that abortions would be legal before Boric’s presidency ends in March 2026.
Decriminalising abortion under all circumstances is a long-standing demand of feminist groups in Chile.
Public opinion
A poll by the Centre for Public Studies showed, however, that only 34 percent of Chileans back the right to abortions regardless of circumstances, whereas, 50 percent believe terminations should only be allowed in special cases.
Boric, who became Chile’s youngest-ever leader in 2021 aged 35, failed in his bid to put expanded abortion rights in a new proposed constitution in 2022.
Voters however rejected the draft charter.
