Quito, Ecuador, Sep 18, 2019 / 11:15 am
A bill to decriminalize abortion in all cases of rape failed in the Ecuadorian legislature Tuesday, amid opposition from the Church and civil organizations.
It would have allowed abortion also in cases of non-viable fetal deformity, incest, and nonconsensual artificial insemination.
Sixty-five members of the unicameral National Assembly voted in favor of the bill Sept. 17, five short of the number needed for it to pass. Fifty-nine voted against the bill, and six abstained.
Abortion is legal in Ecuador only in cases of the rape of a woman with mental disabilities or when the mother's life is determined to be at risk.