Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno on Friday, September 25, rejected a bill to decriminalize abortion in all medical emergencies. A majority of members of Parliament approved the bill in August. The text considered as an obstetric emergency abortion of any type or cause when pregnancy compromises the health of the mother and the fetus.
The bill also included prohibiting hospitals and doctors from refusing treatment when this type of emergency arises. The latter were obliged to “Respect confidentiality, privacy, professional secrecy and the rights of women”.
Abortion is criminalized
“I vetoed the biological health code for technical reasons and because it does not meet the current needs of the population”Mr Moreno said on Twitter. “I invite everyone to work on a new project able to meet the health requirements of Ecuadorians”, he added. Following the presidential veto, the Ecuadorian Parliament can resume analysis of the same bill after a period of one year.
In Ecuador, abortion is criminalized and is only allowed when the mother is in danger, with medical verification, or if the pregnancy is the result of the rape of a mentally disabled person.
The penal code in force since 2014 establishes that a pregnant woman who causes an abortion or allows another person to perform it will be punished with a sentence ranging from six months to two years in prison. If, during the procedure, the woman dies, whoever performs it faces 16 years in prison.
