Montevideo, Uruguay, Apr 13, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Uruguayan Senate is set to vote on Wednesday on a bill that would legalize abortion for any reason during the first trimester, which would make Uruguay the first country to legalize abortion in Latin America.
According to local analysts, the bill passed by a narrow margin in the House of Representatives but probably will not have enough votes to pass in the Senate.
The Senate has 31 members and pundits say the body is sharply divided with some members voting across party lines. A likely vote of 18-13 would keep the bill from passing.
Even if the measure passed, President Jorge Batlle said he would not sign the bill, and Congress would almost certainly not have enough votes to override the presidential veto.