Like US, Mexican States Face Divide Over Abortion

Mexico is now experiencing the same struggles over abortion that the U.S. is experiencing. This is because one group has opposed it, while another is persistent in gaining access to abortion. Ten of Mexico’s 32 states have legalized abortion. Abortion-rights activists in Oaxaca, one of Mexico's states, said they face persisting challenges in making abortion safe, accessible, and government-funded.

Unlike Argentina and Colombia, two other Latin American nations that legalized abortion nationwide, Mexico is a federal republic in which each state has its own regulations and criminal codes. The consequential divisions and uncertainties in Mexico resemble those that have occurred in the U.S. since its Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion in June. Instead, it enabled 50 state governments to establish their own policies. Since that ruling, more than a dozen Republican-governed states have prohibited most abortions; others may follow suit.

Despite the legalization, abortion rights activists claim the country is doing too few things to raise awareness about abortion access, especially for women who cannot afford it.

Meanwhile, according to a report by ABC News, the Catholic archbishop of Mexico City, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, condemned moves to legitimize abortion. A major anti-abortion group, The National Front for the Family, has constructed networks providing economic and psychological support to women who are thinking about abortion because they don't have the resources to continue their pregnancy.

A member of the National Bar of Christian Lawyers in Oaxaca presented lawmakers with a petition signed by 7,000 individuals fighting for abortion to be legalized.

In an interview, lawyer Lilia Hernández said that anyone who denies another person his life commits homicide. She added that many of us who support life are outdated and that the law was created to protect families.

104.5 WOKV reported that in 2019, Oaxaca was among the first states to legalize abortion and is a prime example of the intricacies facing Mexico as it deals with the issue.

Abortion is legal up to 12 weeks of pregnancy in Mexico City and Mexico's other states — Oaxaca, Hidalgo, Veracruz, Colima, Baja California, Guerrero, Baja California Sur, and Quintana Roo. It is legal for up to 13 weeks in Sinaloa. It is, however, permitted throughout the country in circumstances where pregnancy results from rape. In addition, it is permitted in some jurisdictions when pregnancy causes danger to the life of the woman or if there are severe fetal abnormalities.