Friday, October 5, 2012

Buenos Aires City Gov't to veto 'non-punishable' abortion law

Buenos Aires City Mayor Mauricio Macri decided to veto the non-punishable abortion law that had been approved by the Legislature, after announcing that the first intervention will be carried of next week, but based in the Health Ministry's ruling.

Macri confirmed in a communiqué that he will veto the law that the City Legislature had approved on September 28.

The mayor considered that the law "exceeds the March 13 ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice" and highlighted that by this action, the City's Health Ministry's 1252 resolution will remain in force.

This resolution, blasted by the opposition, was published on September 6 at the Official Gazzette signed by former Health Minister Jorge Lemus and set the applicable procedure for the sanitary assistance of non-punishable abortion at Buenos Aires City.

Earlier on Friday, Macri had announced that the first non-punishable abortion will be carried out on Tuesday of next week at Ramos Mejía Hospital.

A 32-year-old human trafficking victim will be the first to undergo an abortion. According to Macri, the woman has been cleared for the medical procedure by “all instances of the law.”