In a massive victory for pro-lifers in Chile, 62 percent of voters rejected a proposed pro-abortion constitution backed by the country’s young leftist leader, 36-year-old President Gabriel Boric, a former student protest leader. The new constitution, drafted by a constituent assembly, was intended to replace the 41-year-old existing constitution implemented by dictator General Augusto Pinochet and drafted by his supporters.
The 388 articles of the proposed constitution would have locked many progressive agenda items into law, from enforced gender parity in government to universal healthcare – but the most controversial was the legalization of abortion as a fundamental women’s right.
The abortion wars have been raging across Latin and South America for years now, with abortion being legalized in Colombia, provinces of Mexico, and in Argentina by a razor-thin margin, while pro-life politicians and activists have successfully defended pre-born human rights in Guatemala, Ecuador, El Salvador, Brazil, and elsewhere.
Two dueling mass movements have sprung up, with the green movement fighting for abortion rights and the blue movement defending the right to life of pre-born children. The abortion movement is backed by Western governments, NGOs, and international organizations. The pro-life movement is fuelled by the support of millions of ordinary men, women, and children who have flocked to staggeringly large marches and protests.
