Day of the unborn child: Controversial phrases and for oblivion of Congressmen who defended the motion

On March 16, the plenary session of the Congress of the Republic approved the motion for the agenda No. 1992, which proposes to declare the commemoration of the Day of the unborn child. During the support debate, there were controversial comments among some congressmen, when they were defending the motion.

After the intervention of the representatives of different benches, the motion was finally approved with 77 votes in favor, 7 against and 20 abstentions.

CONTROVERSIAL AND QUESTIONED INTERVENTIONS

Some videos were shared on social networks of the most peculiar interventions in plenary during this debate. This is the case of the intervention of Congressman Waldemar Cerrón, from the Peru-Libre bank, who defended the motion claiming that the Day of the Child for nacer has been established in society through the “baby showers”.

“The generations of now have grouped together and have their 'baby shower'. Already this day in society is institutionalized, it lacks only the formal, and we are very grateful to the congressmen to put the mat on this. It must be understood that the life of a new being means the preservation of the existence of the human being. No one will like to have their development cycle interrupted. Imagine if they had made that decision with us, we would not be here, not even those who are talking in favor of it. Let's be more aware,” he said in part of his speech.

The congressman also alluded to abortion by calling it “a wrong decision.”

“When the family does not know that a new being is coming, sometimes the mother feels alone and can make the wrong decision. Instead, on this day of the unborn child, the family can commit to growing up,” he added.

He concluded his message by saying: “Let us not destroy the family, let us defend the family as soon as it has to defend itself”.

On the other hand, the parliamentarian Pedro Martínez, from the Popular Action Bank, gave an argument that has been very questioned on social media about why he was defending the motion filed. He said that children can “heal the scars” that rapists leave on their victims.

Before that, the congressman said he doubted that rape victims are willing to “undergo” an abortion, which he called another form of “mistreatment.”

“A boy can heal those wounds, those scars, those aftermath left by some damn rapists who hurt many girls . But no one, I think, has the right to take the life of a child who is being conceived in the womb of a mother,” he said in plenary.

“I especially ask moms, young women activists, to defend life,” he added.

WOMEN IN POLITICS SPEAK OUT

Mirtha Vasquez - former president of the Council of Ministers

“In 2020, 1179 girls aged 10 to 14 gave birth as a result of rape. These numbers increased in the pandemic, according to the Ombudsman's Office. Today, Congress passes a motion to declare the “day of the unborn child,” turning its back on women's and girls' right to decide,” she said on Twitter.

Rocío Silva Santiesteban - former congressman and former president of the Congress

“Today was a day of setbacks for women's dd in Peru. After the Minister of Health passed the rude flannel to Aguinaga and now that the law declaring the unborn child has been passed. Instead of fighting for girls who are raped and with forced pregnancies!” , he said on his Twitter account.

Ruth Luque - parliamentarian of Juntos for Peru

“#DíaDelNiñoPorNacer is being used to stigmatize and prosecute women and also to curb the debate on sexual and reproductive rights, especially comprehensive sex education,” she said on Twitter.

Rosangela Barbarán - Parliamentarian of the Popular Force

“He won the defense of life! With 77 votes, the Congress of the Republic approved the 1992 motion to promote the commemoration of the 'Day of the Unborn Children',” he added on Twitter.

Diana Miloslavic - Minister for Women

“I hope that in this Congress we can get the votes to decriminalize him for rape. I think it's the least we can do for our pregnant girls and teenagers,” Miloslavich told the local media outlet Exitosa.

“I continue to bet that at some point abortion will be free, free and safe in Peru as in Argentina,” he added.