Más que luz verde, luz amarilla (More Than Green Light, Yellow Light)
https://www.pagina12.com.ar/97546-mas-que-luz-verde-luz-amarilla
Shiel, Jason. “Women hold LED signs in front of Congress, advocating for free, legal, and safe abortions.” The Bubble. 20 Feb. 2018, http://www.thebubble.com/panuelazo-2018/
This article reports on the recent protests in Buenos Aires concerning the decriminalization of abortion in relation to the disinclination of President Macri and members of his Cambiemos political coalition to pass a contested pro-abortion bill. Activists from the National Campaign for the Right to Legal, Safe, and Free Abortion protested outside of the National Congress Building on February 19th with their signature green handkerchiefs to show their support for the bill. The bill in question, called the Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy, proposes legalized abortion (in cases other than rape or those in which the procedure would save the mother’s life and health) up to the 14th week of gestation. The bill will be presented before the Argentine Congress on March 6th, just before International Women’s Day on March 8th. If congress vetoes the bill, it will not be up for vote again until next year.
This article points out that some officials do not want to discuss the bill until amendments are made that bring other women’s issues, such as surrogate pregnancies, increased adoption speeds, and economic aid to women, into the discussion. Others, such as the Republican Proposal (PRO) leader of the Argentine National Congress, Humberto Schiavoni, said that he is willing to enable the conversation about abortion, but that all legislative steps and revisions will take place and “that each legislator [will] vote according to their moral, religious, and personal convictions.” This event is also taking place within Argentina’s increased awareness and activism regarding women’s rights.
The article takes a pro-abortion stance, or at least a more leftist viewpoint in opposition to the Macri government’s decisions. While utilizing quotes from representatives from both sides of the argument, it seems to favor viewpoints which criticize Macri’s Cambiemos (Let’s Change) platform, given that the platform’s name and goals imply a greater capacity to engage in open, representative discussion and action. An quote included from a representative of the Front for Victory stating that the government wishes to draw out the abortion debate in the media to cover its other social and economic faults demonstrates this stance. Further evidence in support of this stance exists in the article’s mentions of PRO congresswoman Carmen Polledo, who has proclaimed her opposition against abortion, and of the fact that women continue to die due to self-induced abortions in the face of criminalization as the debate drags on.
The abortion issue in Argentina is similar across Latin America. In addition to this article, I found data visualizations of the types of abortion legalization and attitudes towards it across Latin America, depicted below.
Gutman Institute. Parvini, Sarah. “Argentina Bans Abortion in Most Cases. So Why Is Its Abortion Rate Far Higher than That of the U.S.?” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2017, www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-argentina-abortion-20171029-htmlstory.html.
Pew Research Center. “Widespread Opposition to Legal Abortion,” “Chapter 5: Social Attitudes.” Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project, Pew Research Center, 13 Nov. 2014, www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/chapter-5-social-attitudes/.
Works Cited:
Gutman Institute. Parvini, Sarah. “Argentina Bans Abortion in Most Cases. So Why Is Its Abortion Rate Far Higher than That of the U.S.?” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2017, www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-argentina-abortion-20171029-htmlstory.html.
“Más que luz verde, luz amarilla.” Página12, 2018 Feb. 23, www.pagina12.com.ar/97546-mas-que-luz-verde-luz-amarilla.
Pew Research Center. “Widespread Opposition to Legal Abortion,” “Chapter 5: Social Attitudes.” Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project, Pew Research Center, 13 Nov. 2014, www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/chapter-5-social-attitudes/.
Shiel, Jason. “Women hold LED signs in front of Congress, advocating for free, legal, and safe abortions.” The Bubble. 20 Feb. 2018, http://www.thebubble.com/panuelazo-2018/.