Project sent to Congress modifies current legislation, which allows interruption of pregnancy only in cases of rape or risk to the mother’s life
The Government of Chile sent to Congress a bill to legalize abortion until 14 weeks of gestation. The proposal was presented on Wednesday (28.MAI.2025) by President Gabriel Boric (Broad Front, Left), fulfilling campaign promise.
Currently, the South American country allows the interruption of pregnancy only in 3 situations: risk to the pregnant woman’s life, rape or fetal unfeasibility-when the fetus is not able to survive outside the womb.
Chile’s Minister of Women and Gender Equality, Antonia Orellana, was responsible for the formal presentation of the project in Parliament. She was accompanied by other members of the government, such as Minister Ximena Aguilera (Health), Minister Álvaro Elizalde (interior) and the head of justice and human rights, Jaime Gajardo.
“We are fulfilling our commitment to move back, not to back down, because we know for the statistics that thousands of women are performing clandestine abortions, and that the reasons for this are many. We want to open a respectful, evidence -based debate where all positions have space.”said Orellana.
According to the Chilean government, there is an estimated 40,000 to 170,000 clandestine miscarriages per year in the country. From 2014 to 2024, nearly 270,000 hospitalizations and 40 deaths were recorded because of abortions.
The bill will face difficulties for approval in the National Congress, formed by the House of Representatives and the Senate. Boric has no majority in Parliament, where opposition is against the expansion of the right to abortion. If approved, Chile would become the 7th country in Latin America to legalize abortion.
Abortion in Latin America
Currently, abortion is legalized in 6 countries of the continent. By 2020, the right to interruption of pregnancy existed in Argentina, Uruguay, Guyana and Cuba – 1st country to implement this right in 1979. Colombia decriminalized abortion until the 24th week of pregnancy in February 2022.
Mexico is the latest country to modify the rule. The Mexican Supreme Court unanimously decriminalized abortion throughout the national territory on September 6, 2023. Judges considered the provision of the Penal Code unconstitutional that criminalized the procedure.
The Mexican decision determined that federal public health institutions should offer the service for free. Prior to this national measure, abortion had already been decriminalized in 12 of the 32 states of the country.
In Brazil, the action that can decriminalize abortion until the 12th week of gestation in Brazil remains stopped at the Supreme Court (STF), after the favorable vote of then Minister Rosa Weber in September 2023. The trial was interrupted shortly before the magistrate’s retirement and has not been resumed to this day.
In the national territory, abortion is allowed only in 3 situations: when there is a risk to the pregnant woman’s life, in cases of pregnancy resulting from rape or when the fetus is diagnosed with anencephaly.
