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In at least 11 states, decriminalization of abortion not on the agenda

Simon Schatzberg
By Simon Schatzberg
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An abortion protest in 2014.
An abortion protest in 2014. 'The rich have abortions, the poor die,' reads the sign. 'Enough hypocrisy.'

Although two states have legalized abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, state deputies from another 11 states have confirmed with the newspaper Milenio that their congresses have no plans to introduce legislation to remove criminal penalties for it.

In the states of Querétaro, Sinaloa, Jalisco, Nayarit, Yucatán, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Baja California, Morelos and Nuevo León, abortion is currently illegal and deputies do not plan to change that.

In Querétaro, abortion is illegal even in cases where the life of the mother is at risk, but representatives for the National Action Party-dominated Congress have said they will not consider any new legislation on the issue.

In Baja California, Morena party Deputy Milena Quiroga said her state is one of the “most advanced” in terms of allowing abortion in cases of rape, when the mother’s health is at risk and when serious genetic problems are detected in the fetus, and that she thinks changing the state’s abortion law is unnecessary.

In Morelos, a group of protesters gathered in the zócalo in Cuernavaca on Wednesday to demand the legalization of abortion. Morelos currently only allows abortion in certain cases.

Karina Chumacero, spokesperson for the pro-choice group Marea Verde, said the fact that abortion was decriminalized in Oaxaca, a largely conservative, traditional state, should show congresses in other states that similar initiatives are possible.

“This opens the doors for other states to ask their representatives to decriminalize abortion,” she said. “We want to end the criminalization of women who get abortions, and we want motherhood to be a choice.”

Initiatives to legalize abortion have been introduced but are currently frozen in another four states: México, Tabasco, Veracruz and Tamaulipas.

Congresses in some other states plan to vote on initiatives to legalize abortion later in the year, including Hidalgo, Durango and Colima.

According to federal crime statistics, state prosecutors had 427 investigations open for the crime of abortion last August.

Source: Milenio (sp)

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