Mexico City — Mexico’s Supreme Court made a historic decision on Wednesday by decriminalizing abortion nationwide. This ruling follows a previous decision two years ago, which declared that abortion was not a crime in one northern state. Since then, a gradual process of decriminalization has been underway across various states in Mexico. The recent ruling by the Supreme Court means that judges in states where abortion is still criminalized will now have to consider the top court’s decision.
This landmark decision aligns with a growing trend in Latin America, where there has been a push to loosen restrictions on abortion. It is worth noting that while some countries are relaxing laws surrounding abortion, access to the procedure has been increasingly limited in certain parts of the United States.
Mexico City took the lead in decriminalizing abortion 15 years ago, paving the way for this nationwide change. The Information Group for Chosen Reproduction (GIRE), a prominent non-governmental organization, informed that the Supreme Court has rendered the portion of the federal penal code criminalizing abortion ineffective.
Moving forward, no woman, pregnant person, or healthcare worker can be penalized for seeking or performing an abortion. This ruling also mandates that the federal public health service and other federal health institutions must provide abortion services upon request. Additionally, the court has ordered the removal of the crime of abortion from the federal penal code.
This historic decision marks a significant step forward for reproductive rights in Mexico and reflects the evolving attitudes towards abortion across the region.
