Mexico's supreme court struck down criminal prohibitions on abortion in the nation's federal code, decriminalizing the procedure nationwide. It ruled that bans on it were unconstitutional and violate women's rights, in what the Associated Press described as "a sweeping decision that extended Latin American's trend of widening abortion access."
"No woman or pregnant person, nor any health worker, will be able to be punished for abortion," the Information Group for Chosen Reproduction, known by its Spanish initials GIRE, said in a statement. …
"Today is a day of victory and justice for Mexican women!" Mexico's National Institute for Women wrote in a message on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The government organization called the decision a "big step" toward gender equality.
The ruling effectively prevents the 20 Mexican states (or 32) which criminalize abortion from enforcing those laws. The ruling does not provide access to the procedure, however, but is expected to lead to further state-level decriminalization and the establishment of services now that federal agencies are obliged to provide them.
Remember that scene from The Day After Tomorrow (2004) where people in Texas are wading south over the Rio to get away from the storm?
