Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mar 28, 2019 / 14:05 pm America/Denver (CNA).
March for Life gatherings throughout Argentina on March 23 drew more than 2 million participants advocating legal protections for both women and their unborn children.
“We say ‘No to Abortion!’” said organizer Alejandro Geyer at a rally in the capital city of Buenos Aires.
According to the organizing committee, more than 300,000 people turned out in Buenos Aires, with more than 2 million total participating in 210 cities across the nation. Between 70 and 90 percent of Argentinians are estimated to be Catholic.
2018 was a significant year for the pro-life movement in the Latin American country. Last August, the Argentinian Senate rejected a bill to legalize first-trimester abortion. The 38-31 vote followed 16 hours of legislative debate.
The legislation, which had narrowly passed the House of Representatives earlier in the summer, sought to allow abortion on-demand up to 14 weeks gestation, and through the ninth month of pregnancy on the grounds of rape, if doctors deem the mother’s life or health to be endangered, or if the baby receives a diagnosis of non-viability.