Chile’s Congress Approves Abortion in Limited Cases
Conservative lawmakers are hoping the Constitutional Tribunal, which has eight male and two female judges, will find
that the law is at odds with a provision of Chile’s Constitution that protects the life of the unborn.
3, 2017
SANTIAGO, Chile — Lawmakers in Chile approved legislation permitting abortion under limited
circumstances, a breakthrough for an important policy goal of President Michelle Bachelet.
Claudia Dides said that The Tribunal has the opportunity to dignify Chilean women by restoring a right they had
until 1989, respecting their autonomy to make decisions in situations as painful as these three scenarios,
Opposition lawmakers have argued the law would prompt false rape claims
and said medical professionals who objected to abortion on moral grounds should not be forced to perform the procedure.
The new law authorizes terminating a pregnancy if it endangers the life of the
mother; when the fetus is unviable; and when pregnancy resulted from rape.
A public opinion poll conducted by the research firm Cadem last month found
that 70 percent of respondents supported legalizing abortion under the criteria described in the law.
