Mass protest and harsh criticism: huge storm erupts in South America

Hundreds of women protested in Santiago against a Chilean bill that would require doctors to offer a woman to listen to the fetal heartbeat before an abortion, and her refusal could prevent the procedure. The proposal, promoted by lawmakers from the Republican and National Libertarian parties, concerns the three situations where abortion is currently allowed: rape, life-threatening danger, or a non-viable fetus. The protest ended without unusual incidents.

Hundreds of women protested in Santiago, Chile, against a bill that would require doctors to offer a woman to listen to the fetal heartbeat before performing an abortion, and her refusal could prevent the procedure. The main march set out from Plaza Baquedano, moved along Alameda Avenue, and ended in front of La Moneda Palace. The protesters carried signs and chanted slogans against the proposal, dubbed "Listen to his heart." The proposal, promoted by lawmakers from the Republican Party and the National Libertarian Party, concerns the three situations where abortion is currently allowed in Chile: pregnancy resulting from rape, danger to the woman's life, or a non-viable fetus. According to the wording, the doctor would have to offer the woman to listen to the cardiac activity, and her refusal could prevent the procedure. Margarita Peña, spokesperson for the organization "Coordinadora Feminista 8M," defined the proposal as "very cruel" and said that women in such a situation are already in a "dramatic and painful" state, and the new demand "increases suffering and pain without any justification." The proposal has drawn opposition from political figures, medical professionals, and human rights organizations, who argue it constitutes emotional pressure. The initiators present it as part of informed consent. The protest ended without unusual incidents, with no arrests or significant disturbances. Police deployed forces in the area of the University of Chile, and traffic in central Santiago gradually resumed.