The president of Guatemala has taken action to block US abortion provider Planned Parenthood from interfering with the country’s laws, which protect unborn babies.
The now-former interior minister, Oliverio García Rodas, had previously given authorisation for Planned Parenthood Global Guatemala LLC to operate within the pro-life country.
However, President Alejandro Giammetti, a former doctor, declared on Twitter he would repeal the approval. Following the president’s decision, García Rodas resigned on 2 November.
A commitment to protect the most innocent and vulnerable
In a tweet to his followers, the President said: “I recognize life from its conception and therefore in my government I will not tolerate any movement that violates what is provided in our Political Constitution of the Republic, that goes against the values with which I was raised and that conflicts with my principles as doctor.”
He added: “I AM A FAITHFUL DEFENDER OF LIFE and I am emphatic in stating that I will not endorse in my Government the creation, registration or start-up of any organization that goes against life.”
A source from the Presidency confirmed to Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libra that Giammattei was referring to Planned Parenthood Global, the international arm of US abortion giant Planned Parenthood, in his tweets and that he will seek to stop the administrative process which would allow the branch to open.
His vice president, Guillermo Castillo, also confirmed to Prensa Libre his support for the President’s position.
He said: “Article 3 of the Political Constitution of the Republic protects the most fundamental of human rights: life. I will always honor the defense of our Constitution, the laws and the commitment to protect the most innocent and vulnerable.”
Activists target pro-life Guatemala
Guatemala is a pro-life country and only allows abortion to save a woman’s life.
However, activists and international abortion organisations have been targeting the Central American country, among others, with increasing vigour.
An attempt by Dutch non-profit Women on Waves to provide Guatemalan women with illegal abortions was thwarted by the country’s military in 2017.
The abortion activists were planning on taking Guatemalan women into international waters to take potentially dangerous medical abortion pills, but they were quickly taken into custody.
According to reports, one Guatemalan woman called out to the crew: “Why don’t you go to the Netherlands to kill children?”.
One year after this incident, over 20,000 Guatemalan’s joined a pro-life demonstration in response to a failed attempt to overturn some of the country’s pro-life laws.
Activists targeting Africa as well as Central and South America
US-based Planned Parenthood Global, which was responsible for performing 345,672 abortions in 2019, may have been temporarily blocked from pushing abortion in Guatemala, but it continues to push abortion around the world.
Its sister-organisation the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), which is UK-based but employs over 38,000 people around the world, was involved with 1,389,954 abortion procedures last year.
Despite losing $100 million from the US Government for performing abortions overseas, IPPF is behind recent attempts to push extreme abortion legislation on Malawi and Kenya.
