Social Issues

Bolsonaro says Argentina sanctioned ‘murder’ by legalizing abortion

Rio de Janeiro, Jan 1 (efe-epa).- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has slammed Argentina for “sanctioning murder” by legalizing abortion until the 14th week of pregnancy.

“Sadly, Argentina approved abortion until the 14th week of gestation. In my opinion, this is murder of a defenseless person,” the Brazilian far-right leader said in his usual live video speech on social media on Thursday.

“We deplore this, because we understand that it involves the killing of a child in the uterus, no matter which country it is in,” said Bolsonaro, a reserve captain in the military and a steadfast defender of conservative values who has been at loggerheads with the government of Argentine President Alberto Fernandez.

The Argentine Senate on Wednesday passed a bill legalizing voluntary abortion with a 38-29 vote in favor with one abstention, marking a radical change from the earlier law, under which abortions could be legally performed only in cases of rape or risk to a woman’s life or health.

The Brazilian president reiterated that as long as he was in power, Brazil wouldn’t follow in its neighbor’s footsteps.

“As long as it depends on me, abortion will never be approved in Brazil,” he said in a speech transmitted via Facebook live.

Bolsonaro blamed the development in Argentina on its voter decision to not reelect conservative former president Mauricio Macri and having no good alternative to replace him.

“There was no alternative, it (the power in Argentina) returned to the group of (former Brazilian president Dilma) Rousseff, (Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro, (Bolivian ex-president) Evo Morales and (former Argentine president Cristina) Kirchner,” said Bolsonaro, listing names of prominent left-wing leaders in the region.

The president claimed that the group was doing “anything it wanted” in Argentina without questioning it. He urged voters to find an alternative when they want to free themselves from an unpopular leader.

Bolsonaro first reacted to the law on Wednesday expressing “deep regret” for “the lives of Argentine children” who would be “now subject to being cut in their mothers’ wombs with the consent of the state.”

“We will always fight to protect the lives of the innocent!” he insisted. EFE-EPA

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