Pro-Life Group Applauds Nicaragua's Vote for Abortion Ban
The world’s largest pro-life, pro-family human rights organization applauded the unanimous vote by the national assembly of Nicaragua to completely ban abortion in the Central America country.
“I congratulate these lawmakers for the courage that they have displayed by voting to boldly and unequivocally stand for the protection of the innocent unborn, despite overwhelming international pressure to vote in favor of the status quo,” said the Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer, president of Human Life International (HLI) on Monday.
According to HLI, an official letter was sent to the president of the Nicaraguan National Assembly prior to the vote urging him to defeat the proposed ban. Signatories of the letter included United Nations representatives such as Alfredo Missair, representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP); Kerry Max, development counselor from Canada; and Francesca Mosca, ambassador of the European Union.
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“This vote is not only an unparalleled victory for the sanctity and dignity of all human life, but has sent a clear message to the international community that thinly veiled United Nations-instigated extortion letters will not work,” added Rev. Euteneuer.
The national assembly of Nicaragua voted unanimously on Oct. 26 to pass a legislation that bans all abortion in Nicaragua. In a vote 52-0 with nine abstentions and 29 not present, a bill completely banning abortion in Nicaragua was passed according to The New York Times. The bill is expected to be signed into law by President Enrique Bolanos.
Nicaragua’s current abortion laws allow for legal medical abortion in cases of rape or when a woman’s health is at risk according to the Associated Press. If the abortion legislation is signed by the country’s president, Nicaragua will join El Salvador and Chile as the only countries in the Western Hemisphere to have a total abortion ban.
Abortion is banned in almost all Latin American countries with allowances in a few circumstances. Only in Cuba and some English-speaking Caribbean countries is abortion readily available.
“This is not a genie that can be easily forced back into its bottle,” concluded the HLI president. “Nicaraguans have made clear that they are proudly pro-life and it is my sincere prayer that this support will embolden President Bolanos to sign this bill into law.”
Every year about 32,000 illegal abortions take place in Nicaragua according to health officials.
