A massive march called for the implementation of free abortion in Chile – 26/07/2018

Thousands of people, many with green scarves around their necks, marched Wednesday in Santiago de Chile to request the implementation of free abortion and declared the current law that only allows it on the therapeutic plan.

The cold winter of the austral winter, long lines of people carrying banners, flags and walking to the rhythm of drums and trumpets on Alameda Avenue, the main capital artery, required that the total abortion in Chile be applied, and that women have the right to decide in a safe and free way of the termination of pregnancy.

a fundamental human right This march is necessary to achieve this that we have always wanted, it gives us more strength on the road to freedom, "said Isidora, a student of 19. years

The dictatorship of the late military Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) criminalized the Abortion in all its forms in 1989, and this for 26 years, until Michelle Bachelet, then president and pediatrician, sent a bill to decriminalize with three causes: risk of life for the mother, infeasibility of the fetus and rape.

2017, the standard was approved by Congress and after the Constitutional Court rejected the protests presented by right-wing conservative parties, the law on therapeutic abortion was promulgated in September. This excluded Chile from the list of 18 countries in the world that prohibit all types of abortions.

But for pro-choice movements and tens of thousands of protesters this was not enough.

"The three causes cover only 3% of all abortion cases in Chile and 97% of women abort in clandestinity and at low risk, and we can not afford it", said Macarena Castañeda, spokeswoman for the feminist coordinator, one of the movements that convened this demonstration.

Protesters – women, men and children – wore canvases and posters with captions such as "abandonment of the patriarchal ema system, which the Church or the State decides for us, "and cries out as" the legal abortion not to die "the march for abortion, the sixth one that's been going on since 2013, went on peacefully and under strict police control.

In other Chilean cities, thousands of other people also demonstrated in favor of free abortion

The Chilean protest had the particularity that many demonstrators wore green scarves in the neck reproducing what was happening in the marches in Argentina a symbol that was transformed in the identity of feminist struggles for the right to abortion in this country.

"Argentina opened the debate, (abortion) is now a public health problem", says Francisca, 29-year-old historian

Women and men wore this handkerchief with the writing "abortion, free, safe and free" an emblem that, although born in Argentina in the midst of congressional debate for the despen abortion had an impact in Chile and throughout the region reviving the debate on abortion in almost all Latin America.

"It is important that we give the signal that as a continent, women are united.And this is a little what we wanted to represent, that is why we We followed our Argentine compañeras who filled the streets with greenery and showed the country that they are numerous and want to be heard, "said Alejandra Valle, a protester. A march for a legal, safe and free abortion in Santiago de Chile (AFP) ” observer=”” data-observer-function=”loadLazyImg”/>