Costa Rica plans stricter jail terms for abortion  

If passed, women who have abortions could face up to six years in jail, while doctors or anyone else who performs the procedure without the woman’s consent could get up to 12 years.

President Rodrigo Chaves and his team say the goal is to protect unborn life.

The proposed law would set different penalties based on how far along the pregnancy is and whether the woman agreed to the abortion.

If an abortion is done before six months of pregnancy, the penalty could be between four and eight years in prison.

However if a woman chooses to end her own pregnancy, she could face between four and six years behind bars.

Costa Rica currently allows abortion only when a woman’s life or health is at serious risk.

A legal guideline was introduced in 2019 to help doctors decide when the procedure is necessary. However, President Chaves has strongly opposed any efforts to make abortion more accessible.

Local reports say his government wants to unite conservative groups and push back against international pressure to loosen restrictions.

According to the Minister of the Presidency Laura Fernández, the government believes harsher punishments are needed to protect the most vulnerable, in this case, unborn children.

President Chaves also insisted that while saving a mother’s life is a priority, the rights of the unborn must also be defended.

If approved, the new law would make the country’s abortion rules one of the strictest in Latin America.