The debate over whether allowing abortion is a matter of public health or religion continues in the media.
President Danilo Medina has taken the official position that abortion is a public health issue, in contrast with the Roman Catholic and evangelical Christian churches that call for a ban on therapeutic abortion.
Supporters of the right to choose say that the wealthy can travel abroad for an abortion, while the poor are forced to have unsafe procedures.
Writing in Hoy newspaper, Juan Bolivar Diaz says that the right to choose is a human right that should not be affected by religious dogma.
The government position on the ban on abortion in the 2010 Constitution is that there need to be exceptions to respect the mother’s human rights.
President Danilo Medina recently vetoed the changes to the Dominican Penal Code on the grounds that it did not provide exceptions to the total ban on abortion in the country to guarantee the wellbeing of the mother.
The churches are organizing campaigns and protests against the President’s veto to pressure Congress to override it.
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2014/12/08/i916821_iglesia-catlica-realiza-programa-actividades-contra-del-aborto.html
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2014/12/7/348286/Iglesias-marcharan-hoy-hasta-el-Congreso-en-contra-del-aborto