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Resources

The Wild West Fund of NV: provides financial assistance to those seeking an abortion. They also provide Plan B’s or contraceptives to free to those in need. https://www.wildwestfund.org

Planned Parenthood: provides medical, sexual/reproductive care to anyone, no matter their personal/financial situation.       https://www.plannedparenthood.org

The National Network of Abortion Funds: a national social justice organization that aims to increase access to abortion to low-income people across the U.S. https://abortionfunds.org

Me! Talk to me if you need direct access to a Plan B or need help acquiring birth control, etc. 

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Works Cited Page.

Blofield, Merike, and Christina Ewing, 2017. “The Left Turn and Abortion Politics in Latin America.” Social Politics, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 481–510

Daby, M., & Moseley, M. 2022. Feminist Mobilization and the Abortion Debate in Latin America: Lessons from Argentina. Politics & Gender, (18) 2: 359-393

Delgado, Marcus-Jane. 2019. The Politics of Abortion in Latin America: Public Debates, Private Lives. New York: Lynne Rienner Publishers

Fernández Anderson, C. 2020. Fighting for Abortion Rights in Latin America: Social Movements, State Allies and Institutions. 1st ed. Routledge.

Kulczycki, Andrzej. 2011. “Abortion in Latin America: Changes in Practice, Growing Conflict, and Recent Policy Developments.” Studies in Family Planning, (42), 3:199–220.

Munson, Ziad. Abortion Politics, Polity Press, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest com.ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/lib/unlv/detail.action?docID=5399247.

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"Abortion is health care. Abortion is freedom. Abortion is bodily autonomy. A country without this human right is not a free country."

H.R. Bellicosa, 44, author of The Punishings, a novel about a world without abortion.

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Conclusion

Abortion politics in Latin America is unique and unlike any other region on earth. A mix of religion, social values and politics makes abortion such a polarized issue in Latin America. However, as expressed on this assignment, activists are not taking a “NO” as an answer. At a time where abortion in the U.S. is now illegal due to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court decision, there has been a resurgence in pro-abortion decisions made in Latin America. In Mexico, where the Supreme Court of the nation decriminalized the procedure (in a unanimous decision!). 

In Colombia, where the procedure is now legal on demand and without any restrictions up to the 24th week of pregnancy due to a ruling from Colombia’s Supreme Court, there are lessons to be learned from our colleagues in the south that we can implement here in the U.S. 

I learned while researching for this project was that Latin America has a history of social/street activism and anti-government sentiment. People are fed up with the status quo and demand change. The first sign of significant change was the emergence of the Pink Tide and the election of left-wing politicians. However, I also learned that the “type” of left-wing leader elected is important. There are several left-wing politicians in L.A. that openly oppose abortion. (ex: Daniel Ortega, Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional, FSNL). 

Another point that I learned was that religion does have a significant role in shaping the view’s of people regarding abortion. Catholicism is the major religion in most L.A nations. However, church attendance has dropped in the past decade and many are not using religion as a reason why they don’t support abortion rights. I also learned that when the state and religion collide together, those in power can significantly persuade public opinion. Many leaders in L.A have close ties to religious institutions and often spew anti-abortion rhetoric or refuse to talk about the issue due to political backlash. 

Overall, this issue is not as polarized as it used to be a decade ago. There is a resurgence in support and people are literally going to the street to demand change. Either by forcing their government to enact legislation or through a popular vote. The issue of access to this procedure is rooted in human rights and social justice. Groups that label abortion access as social justice issue often receive overwhelming support and succeed in their goals (ex: Argentina and Colombia).

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Debunking myths

A common stereotype that surrounds the politics of abortion is the people who seek the procedure. According to “Abortion Politics”: “the majority of women (60%) seeking abortion are in their twenties, while less than four percent are seventeen years old or younger. The majority (59%) also have at least one child already when they receive their abortion” (Munson, 2018). 

There is no “typical abortion patient”. Abortions are performed on women in a wide range of ages, relationships, and socio-economic circumstances.

Work Cited:

Munson, Ziad. Abortion Politics, Polity Press, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest com.ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/lib/unlv/detail.action?docID=5399247.

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Translation: Free and legal abortion

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Translation: Abortion is a historical debt to democracy

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The  laws  regulating  abortion  in  Latin  America  are  a  legacy  of  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  Empires.  Inspired  by  canon  law  –  the  system  of  laws  made  and  enforced by the Catholic Church

Fernández Anderson, C. 2020. Fighting for Abortion Rights in Latin America: Social Movements, State Allies and Institutions. 1st ed. Routledge.

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Celebration from activists by the passage of the abortion reform law in Argentina.

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Lessons from Argentina

Argentina is one of the few nations in South America that allows elective abortions with minimal restrictions. It is also a region where citizen participation is extremely high. According to “Feminist Mobilization and the Abortion Debate In Latin America: Lessons from Argentina”, over the past two decades, protest participation has become normalized in Argentina. “It is a country characterized by high levels of citizen engagement in politics and relatively weak political institutions, which has produced “some of the highest rates of participation in street protests in Latin America” (Daby, Moseley, 2022).

Due to the country's history of political participation and citizenry unrest, activists were able to pressure the Argentinian government to allow abortions until the 14th week of gestation in 2020. A well-known group, Ni Una Menos (Not One More), that was created in 2015, was pivotal in changing the nation’s law. The group has also been instrumental on actively speaking on issues that intersect with abortion: femicides, sexual harassment, the gender pay gap and other issues and pressuring public officials to take an official stance on those aforementioned issues. 

By framing abortion as a social justice issue, this makes it difficult for anti-abortion activists justify their position. According to the journal, those who supported abortions in cases of rape or when the mother’s health was compromised had to explain the internal contradiction of their argument: if abortions imply the murder of innocent human being, abortion should be criminalized in all circumstances” (Daby, Moseley, 2022).

Argentina, in my opinion, has demonstrated how intersecting abortion as a social justice issue has proven to be more motivating to political bases, rather from a right-based argument. This is lesson other nations should follow. 

Work Cited:

Daby, M., & Moseley, M. 2022. Feminist Mobilization and the Abortion Debate in Latin America: Lessons from Argentina. Politics & Gender, (18) 2: 359-393

Article to recent changes in Argentina’s abortion policy: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/world/americas/argentina-legalizes-abortion.html

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Religion

In order to understand the perplexity of abortion in Latin America, we should address the role of religion in this issue. According to Statista, as of 2020, the Roman Catholic Church has a large number of members. Over 57% of respondents identified as catholic. In the same statistic, in Mexico, “more than 74% of respondents said they professed Catholicism” From these statistics, religion does play a large role in people’s lives in L.A and as a result, this can influence people’s opinions and views.

Work Cited:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/996386/latin-america-religion-affiliation-share-type/ 

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Critical Review #3

The Abortion Politics of Latin America: Public Debates, Private Lives

For this portion of my project, I decided to research more in depth in how abortion politics intersects with a person's private life and the public discourse that surrounds the issue of abortion. The current political reality of abortion in Latin America is complicated and tends to hurts those most marginalized in society (low-income, POC, rural individuals). The political reality of this issue can make or break political careers and at its core, this is also an economic issue. The issue of abortion can directly affect an individuals participation in public life. 

One of the general findings I found out from reading this book was the intersection between morality and political reality. This portion of the book examines the complexity of political leadership in abortion politics. For example, in 2017, Chile enacted new legislation that decriminalized the procedure. This was a turning point in Chile’s history since it became one of the first nations in Latin America to decriminalize abortion, despite heavy opposition from the Catholic Church and conservative activists. 

This also brings another question: “under what circumstances and types of leadership will abortion rights reform occur?” According to the book, some of the attributes that makes it difficult for reform in abortion laws is a “a leader’s personal religious convictions, the presence of a strong right-wing opposition, and membership in a political party or movement that hinders a politician’s ability to tackle controversial social issues” (Delgado, 28, 

In the case of Chile, the passage of this legislation passed through legal and political obstacles in order for it to become a reality. At the time, President Michelle Bachalet was open to legalizing abortion in her country. However, members of her party, Partido Socialista (Socialist Party) threatened to pull out of her coalition and heavily opposed her plan. 

However, after negotiations, the bill was approved by Chile’s Parliament and signed into law in 2017. However, a request was sent to the Supreme Court by opposition groups to declare the law unconstitutional. Their request was rejected by the country's Constitutional Court in a 6–4 decision in late summer of 2017. The reason I mentioned the opposition aspect is that it relates to how there is a strong right-wing political presence in Latin American countries. Often than not, pro-life movements are often tied to socially conservative religious groups.  

One of the questions that came up on my research was “why is abortion a public debate and why is the state involved with the issue? According to the book the state has a role of “[being] a guarantor of equal protection under the law [and]“basic human rights...especially as safeguards for the most vulnerable members of society” (Delgado, 150, 2017). The state has a “role” in balancing the interest of the people and their own. However, if the state is “guarantor of equal protection”, this is where personhood becomes an issue. 

In most Latin American nations, there is a system of “double discourse”. Under this system, the state maintains a discriminatory prohibition in its public services (no one can be denied access to care) but privately tolerates the illegal mechanisms that hinder reproductive choice. It is no surprise that the people who get hurt the most under these restrictive laws are low-income and POC. The theory is that the state then can continue to espouse “moralistic” anti-abortion rhetoric, while staying out of the debate surrounding abortion. 

In conclusion, the issue of abortion has a direct impact on a person’s private life and since the issue is very much on the public spotlight, this can cause either support for the issue or opposition towards it. Latin America as a whole has done progress to guarantee basic human rights to those who wish to seek the procedure. However, there is much to be done. 

Works Cited:

Delgado, Marcus-Jane. 2019. The Politics of Abortion in Latin America: Public Debates, Private Lives. New York: Lynne Rienner Publishers

Link to Chile’s legal challenges in its abortion reform law: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-41006338

"Chile court lifts total ban on abortion”

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The current President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador talks to reporters about Mexico’s Supreme Court ruling on decriminalizing abortion across the nation. He’s known to be a populist and has stated throughout his presidency that he remains “uncommitted to the issue of abortion” and believes it should be handled in the courts. 

For more info on Mexico’s Supreme Court ruling on abortion: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/world/americas/mexico-supreme-court-decriminalize-abortion.html

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The image of Virgin Mary is often used by the pro-life movement in Mexico in defiance against abortion rights activists. For many pro-life supporters, the Virgin Mary represents life. 

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Pro-life protest in Mexico. 

English translation: “Jesus gave me life... tell my mommy that I want to be born! I love her very much but she won’t listen to me!

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Critical Review #2

For this portion of my project, I decided to do more research on the political aspect of abortion politics and explore in depth how politics intersects with a person’s right to choose. The articleI choose was “The Left Turn and Abortion Politics in Latin America”. 

The article explains how the issue of abortion a public and political debate. In Latin America, talking about abortion can make or break an individual’s political career. The article also explains what type of left-leaning governments have enacted laws that allow full legal liberalization to full prohibition in regards to abortion.

For a bit of context, the pink tide or “giro a la izquierda” was a political movement in the mid 2010′s towards left leaning governments in Latin American democracies, moving away from neoliberalism at the beginning of the 21st century. During this time, many countries saw a resurgence in more left-leaning policy initiatives, such as abortion legalization.

 The first instance happened in Uruguay where the country legalized the procedure upon on request in 2012. During the beginning of the “pink tide”, there was unprecedented political activity towards abortion legalization. One of the general findings the article mentioned that actual reform depended on “public opinion, secularization, the strength of feminist versus conservative mobilization” because it helps explain [the] variation in abortion reform” (Blofield-Christina, 2017). 

What I found interesting within the article is that the type of left-leaning leader had an impact on how abortion was handled. The article mentioned that in the cases of full legalization, it argued that a “secular left majority is necessary in both the executive and in Congress; on humanitarian liberalization, leftist or center-leftist confessional legislators may agree to reform” (Blofield-Christina, 484, 2017).

According to the article, there are two types of left leaning governments: institutionalized partisan left or populist left governments. Institutionalized partisan left governments are more likely to liberalize abortion policies, as they respond to the left turn and thus mobilizes their support bases. However, in  populist left leaning governments, this process is cut off, as “presidents concentrate and personalize power and respond to instrumental concerns”  (Blofield-Christina, 485, 2017).

It’s quite fascinating that either an institutionalist or populist leaning leader can make or break abortion reform within their respective countries. In institutionalized left leaning governments, the respective left-leaning political party often has close ties to party activists who have specific policy ideas and are more willing to enact such changes. However, populist leaning governments are often the voice of the populist leader in charge and based around their personality, not so much on the ruling party’s policy initiatives. 

Blofield, Merike, and Christina Ewing, 2017. “The Left Turn and Abortion Politics in Latin America.” Social Politics, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 481–510

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Latin America’s current abortion laws. Only in Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia and most recently, Cuba, allow elective abortions. Gestational limits apply.

For more information: https://reproductiverights.org/maps/worlds-abortion-laws/