For Immediate Release:	October 26, 2006
For More Information:	Kirsten Sherk, Ipas, sherkk@ipas.org, +1 (919) 960-5612
Sponsor Organization:	Ipas
Nicaragua becomes only the third nation in the Western Hemisphere to outlaw abortion entirely, joining Chile and El Salvador.
With a vote of 59-0, members of the Nicaraguan National Assembly voted to outlaw abortion under any circumstance by repealing Article 165 of the Penal Code. Article 165 allowed for “therapeutic abortions” if a woman’s life was in danger. Nicaragua becomes only the third nation in the Western Hemisphere to outlaw abortion entirely, joining Chile and El Salvador. Twenty-nine members of the 90-seat National Assembly were not present for the vote, and two members abstained. “I am appalled by this action,” said Elizabeth Maguire, president of Ipas, an international organization working to end deaths and injuries from unsafe abortions. “But this vote will not be the end of the story — the battle has just begun.” Today’s vote came at the behest of Catholic and evangelical church leaders who pushed for the legislation in advance of the Nov. 5 presidential and National Assembly elections, holding legislators hostage to their vote on the bill. Representatives of the Catholic Church were permitted to observe the proceedings, while members of the Women’s Autonomous Movement were physically barred from the assembly. “We are outraged that leaders who claim to stand for the poor and marginalized would vote in favor a law that condemns women to die from unsafe abortion,” said Marta María Blandón, Director of Ipas Central America and member of the Women’s Autonomous Movement. “Women’s live are worth more.” The Nicaraguan Women’s Autonomous Movement led the significant opposition to the bill and has vowed to continue fighting. They plan to file a suit before the Nicaraguan Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the legislation. The women’s movement received support from Nicaragua’s health and human rights communities. The Minister of Health issued a statement objecting to the legislation, noting the absence of any consultation with medical experts. Members of the international community also contacted the national deputies, citing their obligation to adhere to international human rights principles. Letters came from the embassies of several European countries and the European Union, as well as from representatives of United Nations agencies, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, the Latin American Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology Societies, Ipas, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Human Rights Watch, the International Planned Parenthood Federation-Western Hemisphere Region and others. # # #