Abortion Bill in Argentina Clears First Hurdle in Congress

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Proponents of legalizing abortion in Argentina celebrated Thursday as the lower house of Congress narrowly approved a contentious bill that would allow women to terminate pregnancies during the first 14 weeks.

Hours after women popped open bottles of Champagne and shed tears of joy outside Congress following the 129-125 vote, several key members of the upper chamber announced that they would support the measure.

By the end of the day, backers of the legislation believed they had gained the upper hand in a debate that unexpectedly moved to the top of the political agenda in recent months as women’s rights groups staged large rallies around the country.

Their victory in the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, had appeared uncertain for weeks. During the final hours of the debate, which lasted more than 22 hours, opponents appeared to have a slim lead. That changed early Thursday when a handful of representatives switched their position.

If the upper chamber, the Senate, approves the measure, Argentina would become the most populous country in Latin America to legalize abortion. That would be a remarkable milestone in a region where strict abortion laws are the norm.

“It seemed unthinkable only a few months ago,” said Emilce Fernández, 53, a psychologist who watched the vote with her 26-year-old daughter on a large television screen installed outside Congress. “It shows the power of public pressure.”

Pope Francis, who is Argentine, had urged his home country to leave current restrictions in place, issuing a letter in March pleading for the “defense of life and justice.” Current law allows abortions under very limited circumstances, including in cases of rape or when a mother’s life is in danger.

Supporters of the bill have feared it will be derailed in the Senate, which is regarded as the more conservative chamber. But Senate leaders on Thursday suggested that the legislation could get a favorable vote within weeks.

“I think this issue is unstoppable,” Sen. Miguel Ángel Pichetto, leader of the largest opposition bloc, said in a statement. “We have to understand the changes that take place in society, and as a result recognize and legislate these new rights.”

The bloc that includes former President Cristina Fernández — who won a Senate seat last year — also announced Thursday that it intended to support the bill “responding to the social demand that has been conveyed by massive collectives of women.”

As president, Fernández had opposed legalizing abortion.

Sen. Luis Naidenoff, who leads President Mauricio Macri’s coalition in the chamber, said his “intuition tells me” that the chamber would pass the bill with the same patchwork alliance that won in the lower house.

The effort to change Argentina’s abortion laws gained traction in recent months as a spinoff of a movement that began in 2015 to raise awareness about violence against women. Proponents of the bill got a lift early this year when Macri — who opposes legalizing abortion — told allied lawmakers that they should vote their conscience.

Juan Cruz Díaz, an analyst in Buenos Aires, said the size and intensity of the demonstrations had reminded him of the movement to legalize same-sex marriage, which prevailed in 2010.

“Argentina has shown throughout the decades that social mobilizations can have a direct impact on Congress,” he said.

Still, passage of the bill in the Senate is far from a sure thing. A count by Economía Feminista, which advocates gender equality, notes that only 19 senators have publicly signaled support for legalizing abortion, while 30 have said they oppose the measure and 23 remain undecided.

Opponents, who were significantly outnumbered outside Congress, carried out a live sonogram on a pregnant woman in the hours before the vote was held.

“I got goose bumps and tears in my eyes,” said María Agustina Sosa, a 27-year-old industrial engineer. “I wish those inside the chamber could have seen that — there’s no way they could say that’s not a life.”

After the vote, Vanina García, a 39-year-old teacher, was crying as she celebrated and hugged her friends about a block from Congress.

“I have this indescribable sense of freedom,” she said.