Abortion is almost always criminalized in Uruguay, partially due to the country's Catholic roots, and partly due to jerks like their President. Uruguay Congress just barely passed a bill (17-13) that would decriminalize abortion before 12 weeks, but the bill is likely to be vetoed by their President, Tabare Vazquez.
Oh look, here he is pictured with George W. Bush, fellow crusader against reproductive rights.
Uruguay women have an extremely difficult time getting an abortion because they face jail time, and there are few exceptions to the rule.
Under the current law, which dates from 1938, women who abort and the
people who assist them face jail terms. Abortion is only permitted in
cases of rape or when the life of the woman or the fetus is endangered.
And despite the fact that Congress could challenge the President's veto, according to bill supporters, the support isn't strong enough to challenge a Presidential veto.
The Catholic church has urged Catholic lawmakers to vote against the bill, and by supporting it they risk excommunication. Nothing like a threat of religious persecution to scare you into voting against safe and secure access to early abortion!
Don't you love it with the system works?
Also somewhat frightening: this could have been the United States in a matter of months had the McCain/Palin administration won the election.
Story via Feministe.