Abortion Rights Activists Clash in Peru

By Ryan C. Kossler

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

 

LIMA, Peru - Thousands of protestors gathered outside Congress in Lima, Peru on Tuesday to protest the Peruvian Legislators’ proposal of a bill which would legalize abortion in certain defined instances.  The bill under consideration would permit a woman to have an abortion in cases of rape, incest, fetal deformity, and when the mother’s health or life is at jeopardy.  The bill, which expands on the current law passed in 1924, previously allowing abortion only when the mother’s health or life was at jeopardy, was approved by a legislative panel and now moves to be debated in Congress at an as of yet undetermined date.

 

Pro-life demonstrators clashed with groups in favor of a woman’s right to choose over whether the current abortion law should be extended to encompass the proposed bill with both sides shouting slogans and insults at each other.  

 

One woman protesting in favor of the bill said “the basic human right of deciding about our bodies is not given by the state.”  Another woman said that “women were dying every day while getting clandestine abortions,” referring to the fact that every year approximately 376,000 illegal abortions are performed in Peru.  This figure is objected to by anti-abortion activists.

 

On the other side the proposed bill has been strongly opposed by the Catholic Church, which has openly lobbied lawmakers to drop the legislation.  This opposition is spearheaded by Peruvian Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani who has referred to the proposed bill as a death penalty for the innocent.

 

Riot police had to be called to intervene after a man supporting the pro-abortion groups physically assaulted a group of pro-life protestors consisting of nuns and mothers.  The riot police used tear gas to break up the confrontation.

 

The country is deeply divided on the issue of a woman’s right to choose. An Ipsos-Apoyo poll released on Sunday revealed that a slight majority of Peru’s population are against the abortion bill.  If Peru were to pass the proposed abortion bill it would join only a small group of Latin American countries that allow abortions.

 

For more information, please see:

 

AFP - Abortion debate heats up in Peru - 21 October 2009

 

BBC News - Clashes over Peru abortion move - 21 October 2009

 

Catholic News Agency - Peruvian Congress continues forward with measure to legalize abortion - 21 September 2009