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((Sergia Galván))

[Translation of an article from the website 7dias.com of Santo Domingo for March 17. See original here and related articles here and here. The Dominican legislature in September, 2009, approved a measure introduced by then President Leonel Fernández to amend the constitution to declare  the right to life inviolable beginning at conception.]

Santo Domingo, March 17 – After labeling the criminalization of abortion one of the most shameful provisions of the Dominican legal system, the Colectiva Mujer y Salud [Women and Health Collective] today called on congress to approve a revision of the penal code in order to free women and girls from forced motherhood who have been raped or whose health is in danger as a result of pregnancy.

The organization, led by Sergia Galván, holds that in this matter the Dominican Republic is decades behind the rest of the world, “being one of only six counties that still impose an absolute prohibition.” (more…)

(("No to reform of Article 24. Yes to the secular state." -- La Jornada photo by Francisco Olvera))

Constitutional reform seen as threat to secular state

[Translation of an article from La Jornada of Mexico City for March 29.  See original here.]

by Andrea Becerril and Víctor Ballinas

In a closed chamber yesterday, with empty galleries so no protesters could slip in, the PRI-PAN [Partido Revolucionario Institucional, Partido Acción Nacional] majority of the Senate had to work  hard to do it but finally attained the required vote and approved reforms to Article 24 of the constitution.

The change consists of adding to the concept of freedom of religion, already addressed in that provision of the document, the “freedom of conscience and ethical convictions.” (more…)