MEXICO CITY –
Mexico’s Supreme Court on Wednesday decriminalized abortion across the country. This is a historic decision that prevents a woman from going to jail for having an abortion.
Court ministers unanimously approved a civil organization-sponsored amparo that would nullify the section of the federal penal code criminalizing abortion.
The Supreme Court stated in its report on the social network
The lawsuit was filed by the Grupo de Información en Reproducción Elegida (GIRE), which also indicated in its X account that thanks to this decision, abortion services will be accessible in all state health centers in Mexico.
Two years ago, the Supreme Court annulled several articles of a law in the northern state of Coahuila that considered abortion a crime and criminalized both women and the staff who could assist them, marking a major advance in Mexico’s women’s fight for decriminalization the abortion.
Last week, a new Mexican state, Aguascalientes, joined the list of organizations seeking to decriminalize abortion, also following a Supreme Court ruling. They were 12 out of 22.
The decision comes amid a broader trend in Latin America that is pro-abortion, while several US states are moving in the opposite direction and tightening restrictions.
The first Mexican state to decriminalize and legislate abortion rights was Mexico City 15 years ago. Oaxaca followed in 2019. As of 2021, there are ongoing law changes that are also currently decriminalized in Veracruz, Hidalgo, Baja California, Colima, Sinaloa, Guerrero, Baja California Sur, and Quintana Roo.
However, in a country where the Catholic Church is influential and where it has been decriminalized in many places, access to abortion remains a problem.
