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WORLD NEWS Thursday 20 January 2022
Mexican abortion advocates look to help women in US

MEXICO CITY (AP) — De- looking into the medical
cades ago, Mexican activ- abortion options," said Liz
ists drove women into the Stunz, a graduate student
United States to terminate at the University of Texas-El
their pregnancies at clinics. Paso, who ended her preg-
Now it's women in the U.S. nancy with a pill from Ciu-
who are facing more chal- dad Juarez in 2015.
lenges to accessing abor- Cruz, a lawyer, said advo-
tion services and again cates will look closely at the
Mexican activists are step- new Texas law to ensure
ping up to offer support. that the women and those
The changing dynamic has assisting them are not put in
to do with the reversal of jeopardy.
the legal fortunes of abor- Her group, Las Libres, has
tion rights on both sides of been assisting Mexican
the border and the exper- women with home abor-
tise of Mexican activists in tions since 2000, including
helping women overcome safely getting the pills to
legal and social barriers. even the most remote lo-
In September, Mexico's Su- cations. They argue that
preme Court issued a de- no medical supervision is
cision declaring that abor- needed during the first 12
tion was not a crime in the weeks.
heavily Roman Catholic At that time, abortion was
nation. That same month, the hands of women who eration of Gynecology and to have a physician in the illegal in all of Mexico and
the most restrictive abor- need them," especially im- Obstetrics endorse their use same room — that make it Las Libres was known for
tion law in the United States migrants and women in and they have been wide- complicated or unfeasible successfully petitioning
went into effect in Texas. vulnerable situations, said ly used for abortions in Eu- to carry out the practice at courts to free poor and In-
And the U.S. Supreme Verónica Cruz, director of rope and other parts of the home. digenous women accused
Court is expected to rule on Las Libres or "The Free," an world. Jacqueline Ayers, vice of having abortions. Much
a case this year that could abortion advocacy group In the United States more president of Planned Par- of the stigma remains, but
throw out the 1973 decision in Mexico. than 4 million women have enthood, said opponents now it is legal in four states
guaranteeing women ac- The pills Cruz refers to are had medical abortions are using "medically un- and the September deci-
cess to abortions, poten- misoprostol and mifepris- since the U.S. Food and necessary restrictions put in sion by the Supreme Court
tially allowing nearly two- tone, a two-drug combi- Drug Administration ap- place by out-of-touch poli- decriminalizing it has giv-
dozen states already with nation used for medical proved those drugs in 2000 ticians." en momentum to efforts
laws in place to severely abortions during the first with a doctor's prescrip- Some women living in U.S. to strike it from state pe-
restrict or ban abortion. 12 weeks. Misoprostol, tion. The FDA eliminated border areas have for years nal codes throughout the
This week, advocates from which was used to treat a 20-year-old requirement crossed to Mexican phar- country.
both sides of the border ulcers, doesn't need medi- in December that women macies to buy misoprostol, More established groups
plan to develop strategies cal prescription in Mexico had to pick up the medica- in some cases to avoid the like Las Libres have trained
to circumvent new restric- and can end a pregnancy tion in person so now they cost of a clinic abortion or others in advocacy net-
tions and find ways to coor- alone but is more effective will be able to get a pre- simply because it is easier work, a push that accel-
dinate assistance for wom- in combination with mife- scription via an online con- and the drugs are cheaper erated after Mexico City
en who want to safely end pristone, which does need sultation and receive the in Mexico. became the first place to
their pregnancies, includ- prescription but the advo- pills through the mail. "I really didn't want to deal legalize abortion in 2007.
ing getting abortion pills to cate groups get for free But more than half of U.S. with all the restrictions and At the border, it wasn't nec-
women in the U.S. from donors. states have local restric- unnecessary stress that essary for Mexican women
"We want to create net- The World Health Organiza- tions on medical abor- goes along with the abor- to cross to clinics in the Unit-
works to put the pills in tion and International Fed- tions — such as the need tion in a clinic so I started ed States anymore. q

Nursing home fire kills 6, hospitalizes 17 in eastern Spain

MADRID (AP) — Six residents Firefighter chief José Basset jured," Puig said. ute of silence at noon local tries, were particularly
of a nursing home in east- told Spanish news agency Spanish Prime Minister Pe- time. hard-hit during the worst
ern Spain died after a fire EFE that the fire appears to dro Sánchez tweeted in Spain's nursing homes, like months of the coronavirus
started by a faulty power have started in a bedroom Spanish that he was fol- those in many other coun- pandemic.q
strip broke out in the night, on the second floor. lowing "the tragic news
authorities said Wednes- "There was a large number from Moncada. My condo-
day. of people asking for help lences to the families of the
Another 17 residents were who were trapped by the victims. We are watching
hospitalized, with three in smoke" when firefighters ar- with concern the evolution
serious condition, the re- rived, he said. of the injured. All our sup-
gional leader of Valencia, Spain's Civil Guard police port for the families and the
Ximo Puig, said. force said its preliminary town."
Firefighters said a total of 70 investigation pointed to a Municipal authorities in
residents were evacuated power strip as the source of Moncada have called for
from the nursing home in the fire. three days of mourning,
the municipality of Monca- "The most important thing with flags flying at half-staff
da, just north of the city of now is the recovery of on the town hall building.
Valencia. those who have been in- Officials called for a min-