Guatemalan Supreme Court halts distribution of pro-abortion manual
December 14, 2017 CNA Daily News News Briefs 1 Print
Guatemala City, Guatemala, Dec 15, 2017 / 12:05 am (ACI Prensa).- The Supreme Court of Guatemala has ruled that the distribution of a manual promoting abortion must be stopped.
The manual, "Human rights, sexual and reproductive rights and healthcare for girls and adolescents," had been financed by the UN Population Fund.
It had been promoted since 2015 by the Ombudsman for Human Rights at the time, Jorge De Leon Duque.
The Guatemalan judiciary issued its ruling Dec. 8. A press conference held by the Family Matters Association (FMA) and congressman José Rodrigo Valladares discussed the decision.
The Family Matters Association had filed for an injunction on June 22, 2017 against De Leon Duque "to invalidate the use of the manual and to demand the ombudsman's office stop promoting abortion." Congressman Rodrigo Valladares subsequently joined the injunction filing.
The Supreme Court's ruling also ordered the Ombudsman's Office for Human Rights "to refrain from carrying out any activity which entails supporting or promoting abortion or abortion practices, their presentation (of it) as a right, the promotion of its legalization or the violation of the right to life from conception," the FMA reported.
It also set a deadline of three months for the current ombudsman, Jordan Rodas Andrade, "to develop the necessary materials to counteract the harm done by the manual in question."
In addition, the FMA stressed that the court has recognized that the ombudsman "has the grave and solemn obligation to defend life from its conception, an obligation he freely and voluntarily assumed by the oath to uphold the Constitution which he took in Congress at the time he accepted his office, if he wants to serve the nation."
The court ruling states that "any report, study, investigation, publication, campaign or activity that the Ombudsman carries out must seek to defend the fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution. Otherwise he would be exceeding his authority as provided by law."
The FMA also emphasized that the court enjoined Rodas Andrade to avoid "reverting to the actions of your predecessor, and to refrain from carrying out any activity which promotes abortion directly or indirectly" and to not join the campaigns or use the slogans " of those who in the supposed defense of the rights of women in vulnerable situations are promoting abortion under the disguised label of 'sexual and reproductive rights.'"
Current Ombudsman Jordan Rodas posted on his office's website a statement in which he disclaimed any responsibility for the manual promoted by his predecessor.
He pointed out that the manual "was not developed under my management," but "was presented, published and distributed by the administration of my predecessor, Jorge De Leon Duque."
In addition, Jordan Rodas emphasized that "starting August 20, the day I took office, until this very day, at no time have I made a statement about abortion."
The FMA offered that it is "at the disposal of the ombudsman and his entire team, to give priority to and timely compliance with the Supreme Court's order."
This article was originally published by our sister agency, ACI Prensa. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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August 5, 2018 CNA Daily News 0
Santiago, Chile, Aug 5, 2018 / 04:42 pm (ACI Prensa).- Pro-life groups in Chile are criticizing efforts to legalize abortion for any reason up to 14 weeks of pregnancy.
Guido Guirardi, president of the Senate Committee on Health, has pushed for the introduction of a bill to broaden the legalization of abortion, according to La Tercera news.
Guirardi said that there is no comparison between the value of "a complete person, a human being, a woman, who has consciousness, a life history, and a germ of life, which is not a person, which is the union of an ovum and a sperm, that has no consciousness, brain, feeling or life history."
Chilean president Sebastián Piñera has promised to oppose efforts to expand abortion in the country, saying he will do "everything that is necessary to defend life."
Last year, Chile approved the legalization of abortion on the grounds of rape, fetal non-viability, or risk to the life of the mother.
Elizabeth Bunster, director of Project Hope, told CNA's Spanish language sister agency ACI Prensa that the new bill "makes obvious what we were saying: that approving abortion on three grounds opened the door for abortion to be [completely] legalized."
Bunster emphasized that pro-life groups in the country continue their work by "accompanying women in crisis pregnancies and those who suffer from the consequences of abortion."
Rosario Vidal, president of the Women Reclaim Movement, warned that "the pro-abortion position has strong media backing and a lot of foreign funding."
It is important to address the roots of the problem, and various pressures that women face to abort, she said.
"You have to understand that abortion is not a freely made decision, nor does a woman have an abortion to make a decision about her body."
bill bannon
This is good but that country is 7th in the world as to murder rates and convicts in only 4% of murder cases….the USA is somewhat over 60%. Worse than them though is the US Virgin Islands as to murder. You can drive in St. Croix for very long distances and never see a police car. In fact I called their police about a tire being stolen off my car overnight and would they come….hours went by….I walked to the precinct and several police were doing nada. As Toynbee noted in "Study of History"….extremes of temperature make for arrested cultures….
hot or cold….St. Croix or Greenland.
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