Law that would have legalized abortion in Brazil unanimously rejected

May 8, 2008 / 11:04 am

On Wednesday Brazil’s Social Security and Family Commission unanimously voted to reject a new law that would have legalized abortion in the country. All 33 members of the commission voted against the law that would have made killing the unborn—for any reason—legal throughout pregnancy.

Lawmakers who wanted the debate on the new law to continue into a fourth round withdrew from the hearing after there was not enough support from a majority of members.  Amidst widespread protests for and against the law, the hearing was closed.

The organization Defesa da Vida said “Representative Jose Aristodemo Pinotti, together with Representative Cida Diogo, initially said they would vote in favor of the law.”  Pinotti justified his position by arguing that the number of abortions has decreased in the countries where it has been legalized.  Defesa da Vida said such arguments were misleading and that data from countries in developed world, such as Britain, Spain, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada show that after being legalized the number of abortions grew instead of diminishing.”

The pro-life organization noted that since 1970 Pinotti has also been a member of the Population Council, which belongs to the Rockefeller Foundation, and was established in 1952 to spread international population control. The foundation currently seeks to spread abortion around the globe.