Ecuadorian President Partially Rejects Law Regulating Access to Rape Abortion

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso partially rejected a law regulating voluntary abortion in women victims of rape, reducing the termination period of pregnancy for abused girls to 12 weeks.

The Conservative President wrote in a letter posted on Twitter that he “decided to include comments on the bill to ensure that it fully fits the decision of the Constitutional Court.”

The legislature with the opposite majority must decide whether to accept the amendment of the administration for 30 days or approve the original document on February 18.

In the law, the National Assembly stated that women who are victims of rape under the age of 18 and who live in rural areas can have abortions up to 18 weeks of pregnancy, while adults and people in urban areas can have abortions up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.

The lasso was enacted as the only term for the 12th week of pregnancy in the right of veto, claiming that “we are all equal” before the Constitution and that “establishing legal differences between citizens according to the terms of place of birth or origin is contrary to its basic principles.”

The Constitutional Court of Ecuador expanded access to abortion in April last year in a rape case. Prior to this ruling, only women with disabilities or at risk of death were allowed to voluntarily terminate their pregnancy.

In Ecuador, women who abort for reasons other than those allowed are sentenced to up to two years in prison.

- “Painful reality” -

Congressman Johanna Moreira of the Democratic Left Party, who announced the bill, said on Twitter that the short deadline “will affect only the poorest and most forgotten people, causing our women to lose their lives in hiding.”

“President @LassoGuillermo had a partial veto and did not understand the painful reality that our girls live every day.” I mentioned Moreira.

According to official data, seven children under the age of 14 give birth every day in Ecuador, the third Latin American country with the highest pregnancy rates among girls and adolescents.

The ruler, who expressed disagreement with the law, submitted 61 comments to the document.This includes conscientious objections by health personnel and the requirement for access to abortion in case of rape.

“The Constitutional Court explicitly ordered the legislature to establish requirements for access to abortion in case of rape; however, the General Assembly practically omitted it,” said Lasso, a former right-wing banker, in a letter.

In a document sent to the National Assembly, the ruler pointed out, for example, that the law “does not establish an obligation to conduct medical examinations of victims to identify violations and protect the health of victims, and does not collect evidence for criminal investigations.”

Among the requirements put forward by Lasso, is the filing of a rape complaint.

The feminist group Surkuna claims that, according to the prosecutor's office, there were about 42,000 rape complaints between August 2014 and November 2021.

Last week, members of the US House of Representatives asked the lasso to enact a law on access to abortion if rape has not changed. Through this rule, Tamara Taraciuk Broner, director of Human Rights Watch Americas, said the president “has the opportunity and responsibility to fulfill the campaign's commitment to respect the rule of law.”

PLD/CJC