On Friday, the President of Nicaragua, Enrique Bolanos signed into law a bill eliminating the "therapeutic abortion" exception in the Criminal Code.
The new law eliminates a loophole that allowed an unborn child to be killed if three doctors certify that a woman's "life or health" is at risk. The so-called "health" exception terminology, has been severely abused in some countries to allow virtual abortion on demand.
The new law also ends the permission to abort a child conceived in rape. Pro-lifers argued that the innocent child conceived in rape should not receive the death penalty for her father's crime.
United Nations officials representing UNICEF and UNFPA and diplomats representing several Western Governments including Canada, the EU, Sweden, Finland and Norway attempted to pressure Nicaragua against the legislation.
Pro-life activists around the world sent letters of encouragement to the President.
The legislation reached the president's desk after passing the National Assembly on October 26 by a vote of 52-0 with 9 abstentions.
A copy of the official Notice of the Bill's signing from the Office of the President (in Spanish).
