Members of the Argentine ruling party, Freedom Advances (LLA)promote a proposed law to change regulations related to abortion with the aim of Limit the circumstances in which abortion is permissible, and in particular exclude rape as a valid reason for it. This bill aims to reverse the legalization of abortion that came into force just three years ago, which allowed voluntary termination of pregnancy in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
The recently presented initiative proposes to repeal the law on voluntary abortion (IVE) and to restore the articles of the Penal Code amended by this law. In addition, it is proposed to impose sanctions on women in most cases and to make Argentina’s penal code stricter than in 1921 by eliminating the causes of health risks and rape. It is proposed to re-criminalize those who perform abortions at any stage of pregnancy and reintroduce “special disqualification” for medical professionals involved in abortions.
In addition, the practice of abortion with the woman’s consent should be criminalized. It stipulates that the woman who attempts an abortion will not be punished and leaves the possibility to the judge to exempt the woman from punishment according to the reasons that led her to commit the crime. It is important to note that the legalization and decriminalization of abortion in Argentina during the government before Milei, Alberto Fernández, was achieved after a long struggle by feminist movements that considered its entry into force “a victory for collective activism” and they hoped that it would be implemented throughout the country and would allow abortions in the event of rape or a threat to the woman’s health.