Human Rights

Chile moves closer to constitution protecting all preborn children

first trimester, abortion pill, 8 weeks, abortion procedures videos, heartbeat, fetus, embryo, south carolina

The Chilean Constitutional Council approved language on September 20 that would enshrine the right to life in a new constitution.

The new language under Article 16 of the constitution ensures “the right to life of those who are about to be born.” The language passed with 29 votes in favor, 17 against, and four abstentions.

In September of last year, voters rejected an extreme constitution that would have allowed abortion on demand as well as euthanasia. Since then, a new, more conservative Constitutional Council was elected, resulting in the current draft that marks a radical departure from just one year ago.

Chile currently allows abortion in cases of rape, if the mother’s life is at risk, or if the baby is not expected to survive after birth. If the new constitution passes, it could remove these exceptions and protect all preborn children from death by abortion.

Despite this, the pro-abortion faction in the country is working hard to persuade voters that the constitutional wording won’t impact the country’s current laws. Instead, abortion advocates are arguing the constitution is saying that preborn children aren’t considered persons. As Carlos Polo, Director of Population Research Institute (PRI) Iberoamerica, and Carlos Beltramo, PRI Europe explain, “This deceitful interpretation is nothing more than a blatant effort to confuse the good people of Chile.”

They go on to note:

If the Constitution is approved in the December 2023 referendum—as appears likely–Chilean will have to fight hard to defend the correct interpretation of Article 16. Their mission will be to ensure that the text is read as it is written: “the law protects the life of the unborn.”  The plain language meaning of the passage is “there shall be no abortions in Chile.”

Antonio Barchiesi of the Republican Party recognized that there may still be a fight when it comes to protecting all preborn children. “The fact that this law does not establish the direct prohibition of abortion is for us a mandate to always and everywhere seek the repeal of the abortion law, insofar as it permits the murder of an innocent person,” he said.

The new constitution still has to be approved by voters in a December referendum.

What is Live Action News?

Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective. Learn More

Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.

GUEST ARTICLES: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated. (See here for Open License Agreement.) Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!



To Top