Pro-life march in Nicaragua leads Congress to propose ban on all abortions

Managua, Nicaragua, Oct 10, 2006 / 22:00 pm

In the wake of a massive pro-life march that brought together more than 10,000 people in Managua to defend the life of the unborn, the leader of the country’s National Assembly, Sandinista Rene Nuñez, has sponsored a measure to reform Nicaragua’s Penal Code and outlaw all abortions.

“Together with the bishops and the Catholic Church of Nicaragua and with the pastors of the evangelical church, we commit ourselves to seeking out the quickest way to do so, which in this case would be the reform of the current Penal Code,” Nuñez said outside the congressional offices.

Thousands of Nicaraguans took the streets in recent days to protest a proposal to change the country’s Constitution to allow “therapeutic abortion.”

“Therapeutic abortion is a door through which abortion could be legalized in Nicaragua, as has unfortunately happened in other countries,” said the bishops’ vicar for clergy formation, Msgr. Miguel Mantica, who helped organize the march.

Archbishop Leopoldo Brenes of Managua and various Protestant pastors led the pro-life demonstrations.

While the bill to legalize therapeutic abortion is still before the National Assembly, Nuñez said it would be soon be tabled.

During the recent political campaign, the Sandinista Party had supported abortion, but now leaders say they oppose the practice. 

On Tuesday feminists and abortion supporters met outside the National Assembly to demand the pro-abortion bill be adopted.