CNA Staff, Dec 12, 2020 / 04:28 am
The lower house of Argentina's legislature has passed a bill that would legalize abortion-on-demand up to 14 weeks in pregnancy, drawing dismay from pro-life groups and Catholics in the country.
The bill, passed Dec. 11, would permit abortions up to 14 weeks of gestation for any reason. The bill now proceeds to the upper house, the Senate, where it is expected to face greater opposition.
Fulfilling a presidential campaign promise, Argentine president Alberto Fernández introduced the bill to legalize abortion into the country's legislature Nov. 17. Fernández took office a year ago and has made abortion legalization a focal point of his tenure as president.
Following a 20-hour debate, the country's lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, passed the measure 131-117, with six abstentions.