Argentina's lower house passes bill legalizing abortion

Lawmakers in Argentina’s lower house on Friday passed a bill that would legalize abortion in most cases, a proposal from President Alberto Fernández in response to long-sought demands from women’s rights activists.

The bill, which needs approval from the country’s Senate in a debate expected before the end of the year, allows for voluntary abortions to be carried out up to the 14th week of pregnancy.

The proposed law was approved in a 131-117 vote with six abstentions after a marathon debate that extended from Thursday into the early hours of Friday morning.

Legal but illegal

Today's vote marks the ninth time abortion rights have been debated in Argentina Congress since democracy returned in 1983 - and only the second time a bill has passed either house.

Current Argentine abortion law, dating from 1921, allows the procedure only in cases of rape or to save the mother's life.

Nevertheless according to the Health Ministry, around 300,000 abortions are performed in the country annually - up to 40,000 of which result in complications, and 30 in deaths.

At: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/argentina-s-lower-house-passes-bill-legalizing-abortion-n1250851

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Argentine House Speaker Sergio Massa announces the results of today's vote an a bill legalizing abortion rights up to the 14th week of pregnancy.

The bill faces an uphill fight in the Senate, where 33 have declared their support - but 35, their opposition, with 3 undecided senators. A similar bill was defeated on 2018 in the Senate by 38 to 31.

As in 2018, a clear though inconsistent divide emerged between the two major caucuses:

Some 82 of 119 legislators in the center-left Front for All - led by President Alberto Fernández - supported the bill, while only 42 of 115 legislators in the right-wing Together for Change voted in favor.