Can Chilean lawmakers win the Abortion Bill fight despite strong public opposition?
Lawmakers in Chile have presented a new bill that would legalise abortion for any reason during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
This forms part of efforts to expand reproductive rights, despite strong public and political opposition.
The proposal comes just two years after Chileans rejected a draft constitution that would have made abortion a guaranteed right.
In a 2022 referendum, 62% of voters rejected the progressive charter, which included broader abortion access as one of its most controversial measures.
Currently, abortion is only allowed in Chile under very limited circumstances, when the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother, in cases of rape, or when the fetus is diagnosed with a fatal condition.
That law was passed in 2017, ending a strict ban that had been in place for nearly three decades.
The new proposal, which aims to allow abortion for any reason within the first trimester, has reopened a deep divide in the country.
Supporters argue it is about ensuring health and equality for women, while critics say it ignores the will of the majority.
Minister for Women and Gender Equity, Antonia Orellana, said the bill would soon be formally submitted to Congress.
She described it as a historic step forward, more than three decades after Chile banned therapeutic abortion during the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet.
But conservative lawmakers quickly pushed back, accusing the government of promoting policies that do not reflect public priorities.
“Chile rejects the culture of death,” said Deputy Roberto Arroyo. “This is not what the people want.”
President Boric, who was elected in 2021 on a progressive platform, had promised to expand access to abortion. His campaign included plans to promote reproductive health, improve access to contraception, and guarantee voluntary abortion as a basic health service, but is still yet to achieve that.
