Honduras Congress blocks any initiative on abortion

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Honduras Congress (Credit: ORLANDO SIERRA / AFP / Getty Images)

(CNN Spanish) -

The Honduran Congress approved a reform of the Constitution that closes the way to any potential initiative that promotes the right to abortion in the country.

The amendment to article 67 of the Honduran Constitution establishes the prohibition and illegality of any interruption of life by the mother or a third party.

It also establishes that the unborn must have his life respected from conception.

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The reform also creates a shield for itself by determining that this measure can only be reformed with the vote of three-quarters of the deputies.

Approved with just over two-thirds of the votes (86 in favor out of a total of 128 deputies), the reform also affirms that it will not lose its validity or cease to be fulfilled even when it is repealed or modified by another constitutional provision.

The amendment to article 67 also makes it clear that legal provisions created after the amended article takes effect are null and void.

This reform also establishes that article 112 of the Constitution, which establishes that the celebration of marriages in Honduras can only be between a man and a woman, cannot be modified.

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Various feminist groups and defenders of women's rights had repeatedly requested the National Congress to decriminalize abortion without their requests having the support of the deputies.

Merly Eguigure, from the Visitación Padilla Women's movement, told CNN that the reform of the article that prohibits abortion and without allowing any modification to the law is a mistake and that in the next few days they will present an unconstitutionality appeal because it ensures that it restricts women's rights.

According to Eguigure, these types of laws will increase clandestine abortions in the country, which cannot be verified, but he says they are registered daily in that country.

For this reform to take effect, it must be published in the official newspaper La Gaceta and ratified by legislators in the next legislature, which begins on January 25.

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