Colombia High Court Votes to Decriminalize Abortion, Adding to Regional Momentum
Multiple news sources reported on the ruling by Colombia’s Constitutional Court to decriminalize abortion. Colombia is the third country in the region, following Agentina and Mexico, to take steps toward decriminalizing abortion.
The lawsuit was brought by the Causa Justa movement, of which the Center is a member.
Reuters quoted Nancy Northup, the Center’s president and CEO, who stated, “We hope that the next step for Colombia will be the total decriminalization of abortion, in order to protect women’s reproductive autonomy at all times.” The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal reported that Catalina Martinez Coral, the Center’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said from outside the courthouse, “Today, women in this country have won. This is a historic decision for Latin America and the Caribbean, and will serve as a beacon for the constitutional and supreme courts of the region.”
Vice News and the Associated Press quoted Cristina Rosero, a senior legal advisor for the Center in Latin America and the Caribbean, on the importance of the ruling. Rosero told Vice, “We hope this decision dramatically changes the situation of women and girls in the country. Criminalization disproportionately affects women and girls in the most vulnerable positions, especially poor and young women. It creates deeper inequalities that already exist in society.”
Read more about the decision from Colombia’s top court:
- Reuters: Top Colombia court decriminalizes abortion until 24 weeks of gestation
- Washington Post: Colombia court decriminalizes abortion, adding to regional momentum
- Wall Street Journal: Colombia’s Highest Court Decriminalizes Abortion in Historic Shift
- Vice: Colombia Becomes Third Latin American Nation to Decriminalize Abortion
- Associated Press: Colombia’s Highest Court Decriminalizes Abortion Up To 24 Weeks
- CNN: Colombia becomes latest Latin American country to partially decriminalize abortion
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