Latin American activists warn of pushback on reproductive rights

Sarah Morland - Reuters - 07/03
Latin American rights activists on Thursday warned of growing political threats to reproductive rights across the region, as the United States rolls back access to abortion.
  • After US, other countries in LatAm looking to reverse abortion rights, activists say
  • Region split between gov'ts easing and tightening reproductive laws
  • Argentina cuts causing shortages in contraceptives, medical services
MEXICO CITY, March 6 (Reuters) - Latin American rights activists on Thursday warned of growing political threats to reproductive rights across the region, as the United States rolls back access to abortion.
"What we are seeing is a lot of backlash of progress after many years of human rights struggles," Paula Avila-Guillen, executive director of the Women's Equality Center told a conference. "What happens in one country has repercussions."
Latin America has a patchwork of policies on reproductive rights. El Salvador has one of the world's strictest abortion laws, imposing homicide sentences for what rights activists say are miscarriages, while a top Colombian court ruled in 2022 that abortion is for up to 24 weeks from conception.
Many countries in the region limit access to women or girls who can prove their pregnancy carries life-threatening risks or resulted from rape - often causing long delays past gestational week limits.
In Argentina, where abortion is legal, activists pointed to funding cuts by the government of libertarian President Javier Milei, an ally ...
[Short citation of 8% of the original article]