Paraguay’s parliament has held a minute’s silence in response to the “tragedy” of an extreme abortion law being introduced to Argentina.
After the Argentine Senate voted to introduce abortion on demand at the end of last year, the Congress in neighbouring Paraguay responded by holding a minute of silence led by Deputy Raúl Latorre.
A video was released by the press office of the Paraguayan Congress, in which Latorre says:
“I ask for a minute of silence for the thousands of lives of Argentinian brothers and sisters who are going to be lost, even before they are born, based on the recent decision made by the Senate of the neighbouring country”.
After the silence, congressman and physician, Basilio Núñez, said the Argentine vote was a “tragedy” and reaffirmed the Paraguayan House of Representative’s pro-life stance. The minute of silence was also supported by three leading women in Congress: Norma Camacho, Blanca Vargas, and Esmérita Sánchez.
The President of neighbouring country Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, was also highly critical of the legalisation of abortion in Argentina saying:
“Sadly, Argentina approved abortion until the 14th week of gestation… We deplore this, because we understand that it involves the killing of a child in the uterus, no matter which country it is in”.
“As long as it depends on me, abortion will never be approved in Brazil”.
Argentina’s new abortion regime
At the end of December last year, Argentina’s Senate voted through a bill to introduce abortion on demand to Argentina with 38 votes in favour, 29 against and one abstention.
The Bill was approved by Argentina’s lower house earlier last month. Argentina is only the third country in South America to introduce abortion on demand, alongside Uruguay and Guyana.
Strong opposition
The abortion Bill has come into law despite widespread opposition. Before the vote in the Senate, in November, thousands joined in pro-life demonstrations across more than 500 cities in Argentina in opposition to the proposed abortion law.
Argentines demonstrated for the protection of the unborn and support for mothers with unplanned pregnancies. Pro-lifers have adopted the blue neckerchief as a symbol of the cause.
Dr. María José Mancino, president of Doctors for Life Argentina, said that “abortion is not a health problem or a priority problem in Argentina. There are many other problems that are not being considered”.
“The Senate already defeated an abortion bill in 2018 in Argentina and the people have taken to the streets now to say that we don’t want abortion. The country does not need to be divided in such a fraught political and economic climate”.
The Bill was fast-tracked by President Alberto Fernández who introduced it as part of his campaign promise. This was the ninth time that a bill to legalise abortion has been introduced.
No popular mandate
Argentina has joined a long list of countries where governments and unelected officials have imposed abortion on their citizens without popular support. Recently, the Government in Westminster forced one of the most extreme abortion regimes in the world on Northern Ireland without the consent of the people who live there. The new regime allows abortion up to the point of birth for all disabilities, including cleft lip, club foot and Down’s syndrome.
Abortion is available de-facto on demand through to 24 weeks and available on demand, without conditionality, up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, for the first time in the UK, allowing sex-selective abortion to be available on demand.
Since the abortion regime was brought into effect in March 2020, over 719 abortions have taken place in the region.
Right To Life UK’s spokesperson, Catherine Robinson, said: “The introduction of abortion in Argentina is devastating for the nation and its children. The minute of silence in the Paraguayan House of Representatives is a small gesture in recognition of this tragedy”.
“Demonstrations held earlier this year made it clear that the people of Argentina did not want abortion on this ninth occasion any more than they did on the previous eight attempts. The very large opposition that has been built to attempt to stop this bill will not be going away. Argentina now has one of the largest pro-life movements in the world and that movement will now start on the next phase, which will be the repeal of this inhumane law to ensure full protection for the unborn child is restored to Argentina”.
