Asunción, Paraguay, Jul 31, 2008 / 13:18 pm
Gloria Rubin, who has been tapped as Minister for Women’s Affairs by Paraguay’s President-elect and ex-bishop Fernando Lugo, said Wednesday she openly supports the legalization of abortion in the country.
In a confrontational press conference in which she responded to the rejection of her nomination by pro-life organizations, Rubin raised her voice and said, “Abortion is prohibited by law? And? Has anything been done? Has maternal or infant health improved in the country? Have there been fewer deaths because of this? These are the questions I have for pro-lifers who criticize my nomination,” she said.
Echoing the arguments of pro-abortion organizations, Rubin said, “Despite being penalized by Christian confessions and with severe penalties by the law, abortion is the greatest cause of death for women in Paraguay.”
However, official data does not show abortion as one of the ten leading causes of death for women in the country.
The Federation of Associations for Life and the Family issued a statement protesting the naming of Rubin to head the Ministry for Women’s Affairs. “We are against appointing to positions in government people who publicly campaign against life by promoting abortion methods in society,” said Celia Meyer, secretary of the Federation. “Ninety seven percent of the Paraguayan population is Christian, mostly Catholic, and ex-bishop Lugo was voted in by this majority,” she added.
According to Meyer, Lugo’s appointments are in response to directives from the UN Population Fund, the World Bank and other international organizations that work to promote abortion in order to allegedly reduce poverty.