Protecting Life in El Salvador

Earlier this year, in a highly published ruling, Bolivia's Constitutional Court bucked the recommendations of two UN committees to decriminalise abortion - and instead, handed down a surprise ruling which continues to protect the unborn. According to a Life News report, the court's arguments for protecting life were "original", asserting "ancient indigenous cosmic beliefs that life is in constant perpetuity, without beginning or end; therefore everything that is life or 'could potentially generate life' is protected by the Bolivian constitution". The Bolivian President Evo Morales says, "Any abortion is a crime."

Also of interest is that in El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America, it is illegal for a mother to abort her child. Underdeveloped countries like El Salvador depend on foreign aid to help improve the country. But such aid usually comes with "reproductive rights" strings attached. After returning from a foreign assistance meeting in Europe, one cabinet minister said, "All these people want to do is talk about abortion." In 1988, abortion became illegal in El Salvador, but the victory was tenuous. Pro-lifers knew the only way to guarantee protection for the unborn was a constitutional amendment that no treaty could override. For the amendment to be enshrined in the constitution, it had to be ratified by a two-thirds majority during the next parliamentary period. It seemed impossible, but the pro-lifers said, "We have to try. We have to do our best." People prayed, and when the time came for the vote, the first person to speak was a socialist woman who said, "I'm going to give my vote as a woman and as a medical doctor for the constitutional amendment." After that, there was no vote against it.

It may be highly significant that the name El Salvador means "the saviour" or "the rescuer".

Julia Martin

Wife, mother, grandmother, Julia has been engaged in the battle for LIFE since the 1980’s. She believes human life is of ultimate implication because each one is created in the image of the Divine