Differences Between Texas And Colombia About Abortion Laws

By Isabella Bossio and Translated by Sam Juarez

April, 2022

First of all, the issue of abortion legalization has always been a great controversy because it is always judged from moral ethics or ideologies. People have had different points of view. I will show two totally different perspectives from two countries that legalized this activity.

Currently in Colombia abortion is decriminalized approximately a month and a half up to 24 weeks of gestation by a decision that had been delayed for months by various obstacles in the Institutional Court. For example with the Causa Justa movement, a coalition of 90 organizations in which the collective demanded the end of the criminalization of abortion, since this had a penalty of 16 to 54 months in prison, although since 2006 it was allowed for three causes: rape, fetal malformation or health risk to the mother, without an established time limit. Thanks to these controversies presented by the people on February 21, 2022 in the city of Bogota, the capital of Colombia, a result of five votes against four was achieved, concluding the legalization of this practice giving one more right to women.

Unlike Colombia, the state of Texas has decriminalized this practice since 1973 (this legalization was for the whole state) although it contains some controversy. Most Texas governors have a traditional ideology, which may lead to the criminalization of this practice.

That is why this issue can become so controversial because of people’s ideologies. From the perspective of one country which is happy after so much suffering for having legalized this practice, it can be frowned upon by another country that believes it is wrong to take the life of a fetus, even though both seek to provide a better chance of health for women.