Since 2006, Colombia has allowed abortion. However, it is only permitted in three situations: when it is dangerous to the life or health or if the pregnancy is the result of incest, rape or non-consensual Artificial Insemination.
Monday’s 5-4 ruling allowed the court to decriminalize abortion for approximately the first half-term. The nation will allow abortions only in these scenarios after 24 weeks.
Colombia is the latest Latin American country to legalize abortion. Argentina allowed abortions up to the 14th day of pregnancy in December 2020. Mexico’s Supreme Court declared that penalizing abortion was unconstitutional last September. The Center for Reproductive Rights states that Uruguay, Guyana and French Guiana are also areas in Latin America and South America where abortion is not illegal.
Amnesty International Americas director Erika Guevara Ross stated in a statement that this ruling was a “historic win” for Colombian women who “fought for decades for recognition of their rights.”
The human rights group claims that abortion access in Colombia is limited and unequal. According to the group, there are approximately 400,000 abortions in Colombia each year. The majority of these are illegal. The group estimates that less than 10% of these procedures can be legally performed.
Amnesty International reported that most of those who have illegal abortions live in rural areas. Nearly a third of them are survivors of domestic violence or sexual violence.
Guevara Rosa said that only women, girls, and those who are able to have children should decide about their bodies. “Now, rather than punishing them, Colombian authorities will have the responsibility to recognize their autonomy over both their bodies and life plans.”
She stated that the Colombian court’s decision is yet another example of the “unstoppable momentum for the green tide” in Latin America. The color green has been synonymous with the region’s abortion rights movement.
Guevara Rosa added, “We will not cease fighting until the sexual rights of all women and girls, and anyone able to have children is recognized throughout the continent without exception.”
On Monday, hundreds of green-clad people celebrated the legal victory on the streets.
“I couldn’t be happier!” One person stated it.
