Several opposition legislators from Puerto Rico described this Thursday as “retrograde” a bill, presented by representatives of the ruling New Progressive Party (PNP), which it would sentence women who abort after the tenth week of pregnancy to up to 25 years in prison.
He commotion caused by House Project 1644 has led two of the three authors of the measure (José González Mercado and Er Yazzer Morales Díaz) to request that their names be removed from it.
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The defense of life begins by recognizing
the right of women
to make decisions
over his body.
“It would seem incredible that on International Women’s Day we have to remind the Legislature that the rule of law in Puerto Rico is that abortion is legal to protect the life and physical and mental health of pregnant peopleyes,” said Senator Rafael Bernabe, of the Citizen Victory Movement.
Bernabe described the measure in a statement as “retrograde, unfair, insensitive and contrary to the human and constitutional rights of Puerto Rico.”
“The defense of life begins by recognizing the right of women to make decisions about their bodies. The restriction or elimination of the right to abortion is a attempt on women’s lives“, he emphasized.
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Given this, he urged the Legislature to approve Senate Project 929, which proposes “protect sexual and reproductive rights of pregnant people, establishing a public policy reaffirming the right to terminate pregnancies as an essential health service”.
The restriction or elimination of the right
to abortion is a
attack against the
women’s life
For her part, Estrella Martínez Soto, from the Popular Democratic Party, assured that This project cannot be accepted “under any circumstances” and that they are going to “fight” it.
“We cannot be more and more slaves to a public policy that attacks us women. We are being persecuted “she sentenced.
“For this reason I cannot allow them to denounce them or end up being victims of stigmatization, discrimination, aggression and social rejection,” he stressed.
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The controversial bill, which seeks to criminalize abortion in Puerto Rico by amending article 98 of the Penal Code, It was presented on February 28.
In the face of criticism, González Mercado and Morales Díaz have argued that what was discussed to present the measure was not what was finally filed, so that with its withdrawal the only author would be representative Wilson J. Román López.
Since the Supreme Court of the United States annulled in June 2022 the historic ruling known as “Roe v. Wade”, which had guaranteed the right to abortion since 1973, numerous bills have been presented in Puerto Rico to limit abortion, but all have failed.
The difference, experts argue, is that under the federal Constitution abortion is not a fundamental rightbut in Puerto Rico it is protected by the constitutional right to privacy.
EFE
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