No Issue Left Unwedged
It had to come to this.
El Universal is reporting on the current Criminal Code project. The lame-duck chavista National Assembly has apparently decided to de-criminalize abortion in the first trimester, in cases of rape and incest, and if the mother’s health is in danger.
Article 76 of the Bolivarian Constitution says the State will protect pregnant mothers “from the moment of conception.” But the language is purposefully hazy, and the right to life itself is not protected from the moment of conception.
The move is likely to highlight divisions in the opposition. Heck, it’s likely to highlight divisions in the readers of this blog. Whatever works to divide the opposition, they will throw at us fast and furious.
But will it ultimately hurt or help Chávez? After all, one could make the case that a move like this is not going to sway anyone who has already abandoned chavismo, and may well alienate the few moderates left in the President’s ranks.
Oh, and at the same time, offenses for “insulting” the President are on the rise.
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