The discussions regarding the inclusion of the three grounds for abortion in Dominican legislation continue.
On Monday, 104 deputies of different political parties signed a document, “Manifest for Life” where they express they are convinced that human life is a fundamental, inalienable and universal right recognized in Art. 37 of the Constitution and reject the exceptions to the criminalizing of abortion in the Dominican Republic. The deputies say by signing, they are confirming their support to human life in all its stages.
In the Dominican Republic, there are 190 deputies. To pass the Penal Code, two thirds of those present in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate need to vote in favor. Thus, the vote of 104 deputies is not enough to pass the bill in the Chamber of Deputies.
A dissident report prepared by legislator Jose Horacio Rodríguez of Alianza Pais and Santiago Vilorio of the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) makes the point that the same deputies that vote against the three grounds have admitted privately that if the circumstances contemplated in the three grounds happen to them personally, they would approve an abortion.
Meanwhile, in another development, the National Police forcefully evicted women’s rights protestors from the front of the National Congress. The Police said the protestors were violating the curfew. They argued the protestors did not have a permit to be there. Protestor Maria Teresa Cabrera, a former president of the Association of Public School Teachers, says that the permit was unnecessary. That the law only says protestors need to inform of the action and do not need to be authorized. She said earlier in the evening, an agreement had been reached with the Police contingent that only three tents would be set up. The Police left to return later and destroy the three tents the women were sleeping in.
The Chamber of Deputies Alfredo Pacheco president denies having anything to do with the destruction of the tents. He asked that the Police say whose orders they were following when around 3am they destroyed the tents of the campers. Police coronel Eddy Bienvenido Manzueta said he was following orders. Since the start of the new government, Pacheco has sided with those against the three grounds. He has recommended Congress study a separate bill on the topic while keeping the criminalization in the Penal Code.
Opposition senator Yvan Lorenzo Suero (Dominican Liberation Party – PLD) called President Luis Abinader “irresponsible” for his ambiguous position on the three grounds for abortion. He said by backing a referendum, Abinader is casting a “smokescreen” on the issue. He recalled that the PRM when in the opposition, had campaigned promising to back the three grounds. When the PLD was majority in the Senate, then-President Danilo Medina never exercised his influence on legislators to get them to vote for the three grounds. Instead, he vetoed the bill on two occasions for not including the three grounds, but the criminalization was kept in the Penal Code.
Lawyer Ivanna Molina Peña said in an interview with Edith Febles of “La Cosa Como Es” that President Abinader is dealing with women’s rights as a “ping pong” ball and a way to evade responsibilities with Dominican society. She says there is already a rejection of the referendum from all sides. Molina explains the focus is on fundamental rights over which a referendum would not have jurisdiction as the role of the government is to guarantee these rights.
At the same time, the United Nations recommended that legislators enact the necessary legislative measures to decriminalize abortion in its three grounds. The UN says the state accepted these recommendations in 2019 and committed to implement them. The UN says that treaties ratified by the Dominican Republic clearly indicate that denying women access to termination of pregnancy in the three grounds, violates the rights of women to their health, privacy and, in certain cases, to be free from ruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.
Follow the discussions:
Edith Febles – La Cosa como Es (33:40)
El Dia TV (minute 17:30)
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
El Caribe
Diario Libre
Dissident report by Jose Horacio Rodriguez
20 April 2021