QCOSTARICA – The government denied that in the coming weeks, President Rodrigo Chaves will eliminate the protocol that facilitates therapeutic abortion in Costa Rica, with the aim of replacing it with a regulation that is already rejected by feminist organizations and human rights experts because it is more restrictive.

In a communication on social networks, the Ministry of Health indicated that the document is only a draft and therefore it cannot be guaranteed that it is the final version.

“Regarding inaccurate news that is circulating around the issue of the Technical Standard for Therapeutic Abortion in Costa Rica, the Ministry of Health clarifies that the document is a draft decree sent to the members of the Legislative Commission highlighted for the analysis of said norm, since last January 20 of the current year,” said the ministry.

However, the Minister of the Presidency, Natalia Diaz,  denies the possibility of such a draft document.

“There has been no direct intention from the Presidency in this regard,” Díaz said.

The minister made the statements during an activity of the Unión Costarricense de Cámaras y Asociaciones del Sector Empresarial Privado (UCCAEP) – Union of Chambers. Diaz added that it would put the lives and health of women at risk. Likewise, a mental health criterion is ruled out to access the termination of pregnancy, affirm feminist organizations and human rights experts because it is more restrictive.

The Ministra de la Presidencia, Natalia Diaz, on Thursday speaking before the Unión Costarricense de Cámaras y Asociaciones del Sector Empresarial Privado (UCCAEP)

“We already knew that one of the objectives of the president and Joselyn Chacón (former health minister) was to eliminate the therapeutic abortion protocol, so it was something we had already seen coming since Rodrigo Chaves met with the (Catholic Church) bishops. His government has shown time and again that it is against women and especially everything that has to do with sexual and reproductive rights (…) We are going to fight against this outrage against women,” said Valeria Marín, spokesperson for the Legal Abortion Movement Costa Rica.