With a 5-4 vote, The Chamber of the Constitutional Court decriminalized this Monday abortion in Colombia until the 24th week of gestation. The decision was attended by Deputy Judge Julio Andrés Ossa after studying a lawsuit presented by the Just Cause movement, composed for several women’s organizations and asking to completely eliminate the crime from the Penal Code.
Thus, Colombia becomes the seventh country in Latin America where abortion is a personal decision. The countries that are part of that list are: Argentina, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Guiana and French Guiana.
(You can read: Historical: Constitutional Court decriminalizes abortion until week 24).
On Cuba abortion is legal and the decision of the woman since 1965, however, if her gestation is greater than 12 weeks, she must have medical consent, and if the pregnant woman is under 16 years of age and is not married, she must have the consent of the parents or legal guardian.
On Guyanesethe gestation limit to access a voluntary interruption of pregnancy is eight weeks, while in French Guiana the limit is 12 weeks.
In the case of Puerto Rico there is no limitation in gestational time to access abortion. On the other hand, in Argentina the limit is 14 weeks and in Uruguay it is 12 weeks.
(You can read: Decriminalization of abortion: this is how politicians react to the Court’s decision).
As stipulated in Colombiafrom now on in the country a mixed model will be implemented to carry out a Voluntary termination of pregnancy. It will be free and legal until six months of gestation; after this time, they must apply the three causes that have been in force since 2006: that the life or health of the mother is in danger, if the pregnancy is the product of rape or if the fetus is not viable.
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