AMERICA/BRAZIL - Pro-abortion legislation is unanimously blocked

Brasilia (Agenzia Fides) - The Commission of Social Security and the Family of the National Congress unanimously vetoed the Draft Bill 1135/91 that sought to decriminalize voluntary abortion. All 33 votes were against the law that tried to legalize abortion for any reason in any stage of the pregnancy.
According to the news agency of the House of Representatives, “the group of representatives that wished to carry on the debate and hold a fourth public audience on the proposal eventually left the meeting after the successive requirements for authorizing the vote were rejected. Given the demonstrations on behalf of citizens in favor and against the project, the meeting was held in private.”
According to the organization named “Defesa da Vida,” in order to justify their vote in favor of the bill, some representatives said that there was a decrease in the number of abortions in the countries where it had been legalized. However, the organization says that these statements that “this argument that is constantly repeated by pro-abortion activists, is not completely accurate, as it does not consider the many countries, including first-world countries such as England, Spain, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and many others, where following its legalization, the number of abortions continues to increase, and not decrease.” (RG) (Agenzia Fides 8/5/2008; righe 17, parole 211)