A committee in Brazil’s lower house of Congress rejected a bill Wednesday that would have legalized abortion.
The Justice and Constitution Committee voted 57-4 against the bill, which has been stuck in Congress for 17 years. Brazilian law defines abortion as a crime punishable by jail time.
“Pro-life advocates in Brazil have much to celebrate today,” said Carrie Gordon Earll, senior bioethics analyst for Focus on the Family Action. “Yet, they also have work to do in helping Brazilian women realize that abortion is never the answer to challenging pregnancies.”
The vote comes at a time when Central and South American countries face increased pressure to repeal long-standing abortion bans.
