Landmark Ruling: Mexico’s Supreme Court Legalizes Abortion Nationwide

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of Mexico has decriminalized abortion across the entire country. This decision marks a significant step after the court’s previous ruling two years ago, which decriminalized abortion in the state of Coahuila and sparked a movement for decriminalization on a state-by-state basis.

The Supreme Court stated, “The First Chamber of the Supreme Court ruled that the legal system that penalizes abortion in the Federal Criminal Code is unconstitutional, since it violates the human rights of women and people with the capacity to gestate.” The court announced this ruling through its official social media accounts.

Before this ruling, the laws regarding abortion varied across different Mexican states. However, the procedure had already been decriminalized in 12 out of the country’s 32 states. Mexico City was the first jurisdiction to decriminalize abortion 15 years ago, and just last week, the state of Aguascalientes became the most recent to allow the procedure.

This move to increase abortion access follows Colombia’s decriminalization of the procedure last year. Historically, abortion laws in Latin America have been strict, largely influenced by the region’s predominant Catholic culture. Notably, four Latin American countries—Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic—outlaw abortion under all circumstances.

Interestingly, as many U.S. states tighten restrictions on abortion access following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade last year, Mexico is moving towards greater liberalization of abortion rights.

This report includes information from the Associated Press.