A Colombian Court Has Ruled That Abortion Is Legal Until 24 Weeks Of Pregnancy

Colombia's constitutional court ruled on Monday to decriminalize abortion until 24 weeks of pregnancy, according to a statement from the court. The decision is a triumph for abortion rights groups who petitioned to have the procedure removed from the penal code.

Colombia joins a group of Latin American countries, including Mexico and Ecuador, that have recently liberalized abortion access.

In 2006, a Colombian court decision partially legalized abortion, allowing it only in circumstances of rape, fatal fetal malformation, and the woman's health, with no time constraints.

Women would not be prosecuted for obtaining abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy under Monday's verdict, which was approved by five of nine justices. After that, the procedure will only be allowed under the original three circumstances.

"Abortion will only be punished if it is performed after the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy, and this time limit will not apply to the three conditions outlined in Ruling C-355 of 2006," the court stated in a statement.

According to the court's statement, Congress and the federal government must immediately establish policies to protect the rights of pregnant women, including family planning programs, removing barriers to abortion treatment, and assistance with adoptions.

Around 90% of abortions in the country are illegal, according to the Causa Justa coalition, which filed a legalization lawsuit in September 2020. This puts women's lives in peril as they seek unsafe alternatives to visiting a doctor.

"We accomplished it!" the coalition, which consists of over 90 feminist organizations, exclaimed on Twitter.

Outside the court, its supporters, many of whom were dressed in green to signify the abortion rights movement and some of whom were crying, celebrated.

This year, the Supreme Court of Mexico decriminalized abortion, and Ecuador's National Assembly enacted laws last week allowing access to abortion in situations of rape.

Incoming Chilean President Gabriel Boric has pledged to make the process openly available, as it is in Argentina and Uruguay, but only for a limited period of time.