Abortion and euthanasia at the forefront of Chilean politics
The Chilean government presented bills to legalize free abortion up to 14 weeks and to reactivate the debate on euthanasia, generating strong rejection from the political opposition and religious leaders. Both initiatives are part of Gabriel Boric's presidential program for the 2025 elections.

Editorial Staff Omnes
June 9, 2025

In the first week of June, the government of President Gabriel Boric sent to the Chilean Congress a bill for free abortion -without grounds- up to the 14th week of pregnancy. pregnancy. The presidents of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate -both from the opposition- declared that it is not their intention to put them on the political agenda.

In addition, 20 opposition senators signed a letter rejecting the bill and other members of the government coalition have expressed their opposition.

Continued: https://www.omnesmag.com/en/news/abortion-euthanasia-chilean-politics/

09.06.2025

News

abortion law reform

Gabriel Boric

medical assistance in dying

Chilean Government Reactivates Debate on Legal Abortion

The announcement of the bill to legalize abortion up to 12 weeks has revived the debate in Chilean society.

May 26, 2025
By El Mostrador

HAVANA TIMES – In a significant move for reproductive rights in Chile, the government announced it will present a bill to Congress to decriminalize abortion up to 12 weeks of gestation. This initiative, promised by President Gabriel Boric in his 2024 state of the nation address, seeks to expand access to voluntary termination of pregnancy beyond the three currently permitted grounds: risk to the mother’s life, non-viable fetus, and pregnancy resulting from rape.

Minister of Women and Gender Equity Antonia Orellana confirmed that the bill will be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies in the coming days. Orellana noted that after a year of work aimed at improving the implementation of the existing three grounds abortion law, it is now time to open up debate on legal abortion within defined time limits.

Continued: https://havanatimes.org/news/chilean-government-reactivates-debate-on-legal-abortion/

Chile must guarantee right to health, access to safe abortion and strengthen mental health services, says UN expert

04 December 2024
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

SANTIAGO - Chile must align its constitution with international human rights standards to fully guarantee the enjoyment of the right to health for all, a UN expert said today.

“Chile must prioritise health funding and ensure equitable resource allocation,” said Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, following an official visit to the country.

In a statement, Mofokeng acknowledged the government's willingness to address challenges, including mental health, sexual and reproductive health, and disparities in the private-public health system.

Continued: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/12/chile-must-guarantee-right-health-access-safe-abortion-and-strengthen-mental

04.12.2024

Commentary

conscientious objection

conscientious objector

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

OHCHR

Tlaleng Mofokeng

UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health

Chile President Gabriel Boric Lays Out Plans to Legalize Abortion and Euthanasia

Matthew Malinowski, Bloomberg News
Sat Jun 1, 2024

(Bloomberg) -- Chile President Gabriel Boric said he will introduce a bill to fully legalize abortion and will also accelerate debate on a euthanasia proposal, two plans that face an uphill battle for approval in a divided Congress.

The government will submit legislation on abortion in the second half of this year, Boric said in his annual State of the Nation address given Saturday in Chile’s Congress. The administration will also apply “urgency” to an existing bill on assisted death, he said, thus granting it priority status.

“As president, I am convinced of the need for a democratic debate on the topic of sexual and reproductive rights,” Boric said, prompting a burst of cheers while, at the same time, some lawmakers left the session in protest.

Continued: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/chile-president-gabriel-boric-lays-out-plans-to-legalize-abortion-and-euthanasia-1.2079995

01.06.2024

Chile voters reject conservative proposal to replace dictatorship-era constitution

Latest attempt at new charter drew controversy over social rights, abortion articles

The Associated Press
Dec 17, 2023

Chilean voters rejected on Sunday a proposed conservative constitution to replace the country's dictatorship-era charter. With 96 per cent of votes counted late Sunday, about 55.8 per cent had voted No to the new charter, with about 44.2 per cent in favour.

… One of the most controversial articles in the proposed new draft said that "the law protects the life of the unborn," with a slight change in wording from the current document that some have warned could make abortion fully illegal in the South American country. Chilean law currently allows the interruption of pregnancies for three reasons: rape, an unviable fetus and risk to the life of the mother.

Continued: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/chile-vote-constitution-1.7062247?cmp=rss

17.12.2023

Chile voters sour on right-wing constitution as abortion clause stirs debate

By Natalia A. Ramos Miranda, and Lucinda Elliott
October 6, 2023

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Voters are souring on Chile's second, conservative-led attempt at drafting a new constitution as a bid to further tighten the country's already restrictive abortion laws and other moves to the right threaten to turn off a majority of voters.

More than half of Chileans, 54% of respondents surveyed before the draft text was completed this week, plan on voting against the new constitution, according to pollster Cadem.

Continued: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/chile-voters-sour-right-wing-constitution-abortion-clause-stirs-debate-2023-10-06/

06.10.2023

News

Agustina Ramón Michel

Catalina Lagos

CLACAI

constitutional amendment to ban abortion

Latin American Consortium against Unsafe Abortion

Demonstrators across Latin America demand abortion rights

September 28, 2023

Americas Desk, Sep 28 (EFE).- The Day for Decriminalization and Legalization of Abortion drew demonstrations all over Latin America on Thursday to address a lack of protection in countries such as El Salvador, fear of losing rights in Argentina, intense political debates in Brazil and progress in Mexico.

In El Salvador, activists from the Feminist Assembly denounced the total criminalization of abortion as the “greatest expression of violence” against women, who can be accused of aggravated homicide and sentenced to 30 years in prison, even in cases of miscarriage.

Continued : https://www.laprensalatina.com/demonstrators-across-latin-america-demand-abortion-rights/

Abortion Rules in Chile Survive Threat of Constitutional Rewrite

Eduardo Thomson, Bloomberg News
Sep 15, 2023

An clause in the draft of Chile’s new constitution that would have annulled current abortion rules in the South American country failed to reach enough support in a vote Friday.

The article stating “all human beings are persons” won 29 votes in favor, 17 against and 4 abstentions at the Constitutional Council. It needed 30 votes to pass. Several council members had warned the clause would have made current abortion rules unconstitutional.

Chile allows abortions only in three cases: rape, risks to the mother’s life, or if the baby has a medical condition that means it isn’t expected to survive. The current law was approved in 2017 during the second government of Michelle Bachelet.

The abstentions Friday were among council members from the center-right Chile Vamos coalition and show a break from the majority right-wing Republicanos party, Claudio Fuentes, a political scientist at Universidad Diego Portales, said on social media.

Source: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/abortion-rules-in-chile-survive-threat-of-constitutional-rewrite-1.1972103

15.09.2023

News

Chile abortion law

Claudio Fuentes

constitutional amendment to ban abortion

Chilean anti-abortion group in legal fight to keep donors secret

A year-long investigation reveals how powerful anti-rights groups are influencing politics and protecting donors

Paulette Desormeaux, Catalina Gaete
13 September 2023

A wealthy and well-connected anti-abortion group has gone to court to block the disclosure of its private donors following an investigation by openDemocracy and La Pública.

It comes after a year-long effort by the two news organisations that reveals how three powerful anti-rights nonprofits in Chile are using legal loopholes to protect the identity of funders while influencing politicians to limit reproductive and equal rights for women and LGBTIQ communities.

Continued: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/chile-anti-abortion-donor-secrecy-legal-fight-investigation/

‘Gigantic step backwards’: far-right gains in Chile threaten abortion rights

Concerns mount as ultraconservative Republican party’s ‘right to life’ proposal could be enshrined in constitution

John Bartlett
Mon 21 Aug 2023

The hard-won right to an abortion in Chile is at risk of being overturned, activists have warned, as the country’s far right moves to enshrine protection for “the life of the unborn child and maternity” in a new constitution.

Concerns have grown over the ultraconservative Republican party’s plans to pare back reproductive rights in Chile as it now holds significant sway in the fate of the country’s constitutional saga.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/aug/21/chile-far-right-new-consitution-abortion