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WORLD NEWS Thursday 10 March 2022
Guatemala increases abortion penalty, bans same-sex marriage

By SONIA PÉREZ D. system. Opposition law-
Associated Press maker Samuel Pérez said
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) it was approved by men
— Guatemalan lawmak- unaffected by the issue of
ers have increased prison abortion.
sentences for women who Colombia expanded ac-
have abortions, bucking a cess to abortion last month
recent trend in Latin Amer- when the Constitutional
ica toward expanding ac- Court voted to legalize the
cess to the procedures. procedure until the 24th
As some of Latin America’s week of pregnancy. Prior
largest countries — Mexi- to the ruling, Colombia al-
co, Argentina, Colombia lowed abortions only when
— have expanded abor- a woman’s life was in dan-
tion access in the past two ger, a fetus had malforma-
years, there remain coun- tions or the pregnancy re-
tries where conservative sulted from rape.
religious trends continue to In September, Mexico’s
hold sway. Supreme Court ruled that
Late Tuesday — Interna- abortion was not a crime,
tional Women’s Day — that it was unconstitutional
Guatemala’s Congress to punish abortion.
passed a “Protection of Life And in January of last year,
and Family” law that also Women participate in a demonstration marking International Women’s Day in downtown a law went into effect in
targeted the LGBTQ com- Guatemala City, Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Argentina allowing elec-
munity. On Wednesday, Associated Press tive abortion up to the 14th
which Guatemala’s Con- gress imposed even heavi- mo, who voted against the them. He added that those week of pregnancy and
gress declared “Life and er penalties for doctors and legislation, said it violates supporting sexual diversity beyond that in cases in-
Family Day,” President Ale- others who assist women in human rights, especially are not seeking privileges, volving rape or risk to the
jandro Giammattei said in ending pregnancies. of women in rural areas “but want to live free of woman’s health. It was all
a speech at the National Abortions are legal only where there isn’t a govern- stigma and discrimination.” the more significant be-
Palace, “This event is an in- when the life of the mother ment health infrastructure. “The approval of this dan- cause Pope Francis hails
vitation to unite as Guate- is at risk. The legislation passed with gerous initiative represents from Argentina.
malans to protect life from Lawmakers backing the 101 votes in favor and 8 a threat to the rights of The Guatemala legisla-
conception until natural legislation said the law was against. Fifty-one lawmak- women and LGBT people tion also explicitly prohib-
death.” necessary because “minor- ers were not present. in the country,” said Cris- ited same-sex marriage —
Guatemalan women con- ity groups in society pro- Jordan Rodas, Guatema- tian González of Human which was already effec-
victed of terminating their pose ways of thinking and la’s elected human rights Rights Watch. He also said tively illegal — and banned
pregnancies can now face practices that are incon- prosecutor, said Guatema- the legislation served as a schools from teaching any-
sentences up to 10 years gruous with Christian moral- la was regressing by limiting distraction from President thing that could “deviate
that before were a maxi- ity.” women’s rights at a time Giammattei’s systematic (a child’s) identity accord-
mum of three. The Con- Lawmaker Vicenta Geróni- the world was expanding dismantling of the justice ing to their birth gender.”q

Puerto Rico scraps debt restructuring

deal for power company

By DÁNICA COTO Authority holds more than ported Pierluisi’s decision.
Associated Press $9 billion of that debt, the However, it noted that the
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) largest of any government plan would have cut the
— Puerto Rico’s governor agency, and economists power company’s debt
on Tuesday announced consider restructuring that by 32% and that legislators
that his administration was debt key for the island’s whose approval was need-
cancelling a proposed economic progress. ed “unfortunately rejected
debt restructuring deal for Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said some of the key terms...as
the island’s public power that the current proposed unacceptable.”
company, calling it unfea- deal is neither feasible nor Both the board and the
sible. in Puerto Rico’s best inter- governor’s office said Roberto Figueroa Caballero sits on a small table in his home that
The deal had been in the est. “I am committed to worldwide economic con- was destroyed by Hurricane Maria in La Perla neighborhood on
works for several years and achieving (the company’s) ditions — including rising the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 5, 2017.
was delayed by the pan- exit from bankruptcy,” he inflation and surging prices Associated Press
demic, with many expect- said, adding that he sup- of oil — have changed sig- ture of its energy grid at He said that by impos-
ing it might have been ap- ports a deal that would nificantly since the agree- risk.” ing new debt service to
proved soon since Puerto ensure an efficient, cleaner ment was negotiated with Tom Sanzillo, director of pay off old debt, the deal
Rico’s government is start- and reliable electric ener- creditors in 2019. financial analysis for the would have canceled any
ing to emerge from bank- gy system for the island. On Monday, the Institute Ohio-based nonprofit, said benefit from the $12 billion
ruptcy after declaring in A federal control board for Energy Economics and the deal would have im- Puerto Rico is slated to re-
2015 that it was unable to that oversees Puerto Rico’s Financial Analysis criticized posed a “significant rate ceive from the U.S. federal
pay its more than $70 billion finances and the ongoing the plan, saying “it ignores increase” while repaying government to rebuild its
public debt load. bankruptcy-like process in Puerto Rico’s financial vul- bondholders for $8.2 billion power grid following Hurri-
The island’s Electric Power federal court said it sup- nerability and puts the fu- of legacy debt. cane Maria.q