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Uruguay president will veto legislation of abortion

The President of Uruguay, Tabare Vazquez, has affirmed his intention to veto legislation that would legalize abortion in Uruguay for practically any reason during the first trimester of pregnancy.

The legislation, which passed the Uruguayan Senate on November 6th, would be the first in Latin America to establish a "right" to an abortion. Although many Latin American countries have legal provisions that dispense with penalties for abortion in some cases, all of them protect the right to life in their constitution, and none expressly declare that abortion is a "right"

Vazquez has remained steadfast in his opposition to abortion, despite the fact that his own socialist ruling coalition tends to support it. He is an obstetrician by training.

"The Sexual and Reproductive Health Law contains very positive elements that should be rescued, but there are others with which I am not in agreement philosophically and biologically and therefore they will be vetoed," said Vazquez on November 27th.

Vazquez's comments come on the heels of a recent poll in Uruguay that shows that only 49% support the legislation, while 39% oppose it. The remaining 12% refused to answer or stated that they were indifferent.

The poll results contradict a previous poll taken before the abortion controversy intensified this year. The 2006 poll showed a larger majority in favor of loosening abortion restrictions, an unsurprising result in what is probably the most liberal country in Latin America. The new result may represent a significant shift in opinion.

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman, LifeSiteNews.com

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