Guatemala: President blocks law to ban marriage for all

Enlarge image

President Alejandro Giammattei at an anti-abortion event

Photo: Esteban Biba/EPA

Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei refuses to sign a law banning same-sex marriage and increasing penalties for abortions.

It violates the constitution and international agreements, so he will veto it, the conservative politician said in a speech on Thursday.

The parliament of the Central American country passed the "Law for the Protection of Life and Family" on Tuesday - International Women's Day - with a large majority.

It defined "sexual diversity" as "incompatible with human biological and genetic characteristics."

The new bill also banned schools from teaching sexual behavior that deviates from heterosexuality as normal.

The law also increased the maximum penalty for an abortion.

According to the law, women who “cause the abortion or consent to someone else causing it” should be sent to prison for ten years.

The current sentence is three years in prison.

Abortions are only permitted for medical purposes, i.e. if the woman's life is endangered by the pregnancy.

Even in the case of a pregnancy after a rape, the abortion is therefore forbidden.

»Pro-Life Capital of Iberoamerica«

Giammattei's veto announcement came as a surprise.

The doctor is actually a declared anti-abortion opponent.

Only on Thursday did he also take part in an event organized by a religious group called the "Ibero-American Congress for Life and the Family".

Guatemala was declared the "pro-life capital of Ibero America" ​​on Wednesday because of the policies of Giammattei's conservative government.

The parliament of the Central American country is dominated by Giammattei's conservative party.

mrc/dpa