Reuters
Newspaper La Jornada
Thursday, March 10, 2022, p. eleven
Guatemala City., The Guatemalan Congress unexpectedly approved a law that punishes abortion with up to 25 years in prison and prohibits same-sex marriage and teaching about sexual diversity in schools, measures that were condemned by the rights defender local human and civil groups.
The Law for the Protection of Life and the Family, proposed by the conservative VIVA, was approved Tuesday night by a large majority of legislators, including some from parties allied with President Alejandro Giammattei, who removed it from the freezer where it was since 2018.
The controversial regulation, which must still be published in the official gazette to come into force, prohibits promoting in childhood and adolescence
programs to promote sexual diversity, gender ideology or teaching sexual behaviors other than heterosexuality as normal
.
The text, approved on International Women’s Day, also states that no person may be criminally prosecuted for not accepting sexual diversity or gender ideology as normal
.
The human rights attorney of that nation, Jordan Rodas, condemned the decision of the legislators, as well as organizations of LGBT people, and announced that he will promote an action of unconstitutionality.
It violates human rights, it violates international conventions ratified by Guatemala, it is a setback to freedoms
Rodas told reporters outside the Congress headquarters.
The rule also increases prison sentences for women who abort, which previously ranged from five to 10 years and has now been raised to up to 25 years, and although it maintains the possibility of interrupting the pregnancy only when the life of the the mother hardens the conditions to practice it.
Some left-wing deputies spoke out against the law, saying it promotes hatred, homophobia and criminalizes women.
