Foundation for Institutionalism and Justice (Finjus) president Servio Tulio Castanos, observes that the present debate on abortion, which has divided legislators in Congress, has become more political than one of health and religion. As reported in Diario Libre, Castanos speculated that the legislators would vote for the option that they perceive will cost them the least number of votes.
“Whatever they decide, it will have a political cost. If it is in favor, it will have a political cost, if it is against, it will have a political cost and that is what I perceive is prevailing in Congress, that the legislators are analyzing the cost they will have to pay,” said Castanos.
The legislators are under pressure from the government and civil society to pass the observations to the Penal Code bill on decriminalizing abortion in cases of rape, incest and fetal malformation, while the Catholic and Evangelical Christian churches are campaigning for the total criminalization of abortion to be maintained.
The Chamber of Deputies meets today, Tuesday 16 December 2014 to study the observations again. A two-thirds vote of the legislators is needed to override the veto of the President.