The Constitutional Court decriminalizes abortion in Colombia

The Constitutional Court of Colombia extended the practice of free and legal abortion up to the 24th week of pregnancy. The lawsuit was filed by the Causa Justa movement, comprised of several women's organizations.

The decision implies that from now on a mixed model will govern the termination of pregnancy: it will be free and legal up to six months of gestation for any reason and after that period the three causes that have been in force since 2006 will remain in force and that allow a legal abortion when the pregnancy is a risk to the physical or mental health of the woman, was the result of sexual abuse or there is a malformation of the fetus incompatible with life.

Likewise, the court urged Congress and the national government to, “without prejudice to the immediate compliance with this ruling, and in the shortest possible time, formulate and implement a comprehensive public policy, including the legislative and administrative measures that may be required, as the case may be.”

Colombia has become the fifth Latin American country to decriminalize abortion and one of the most flexible regarding the time frame for performing it. Argentina allows it up to the 14th week of pregnancy, while Mexico permits it up to 12 weeks in the states of Oaxaca, Veracruz, Hidalgo, and Mexico City. Uruguay allows it up to 12 weeks, as do Cuba and Guyana, which allow exceeding this limit in some exceptional cases.