The Constitutional Court of Colombia has approved the decriminalisation of abortion up to six months, or 24 weeks, of pregnancy, with five votes in favour and four against.

The extraordinary session of the high court was marked by a pro-life rally with the motto “The silence of the innocent”, and demonstrations by feminist groups outside the building.

One of the judges who voted in favour replaced Justice Alejando Linares, who had been disqualified for publicly expressing his support for abortion before the debate.

The reasons approved in 2006 to justify abortion after this period, such as risk to the mother's life, sexual abuse or malformation of the child to be born, remain in force.

Pro-life reactions

The platform United for Life and several pro-life organisations in Colombia rallied outside the Constitutional Court to demand that abortion throughout pregnancy and without restrictions would not be approved in the country.

The senator and candidate for the presidency of Colombia, John Milton Rodríguez, published a video on his social media, describing the decision taken by the 5 magistrates “in favour of the murder of helpless unborn children under 6 months of age” as “a disgrace”.

“We will use all the legal means necessary to continue defending life”, he added.

Meanwhile, the Christian organisation Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Colombia has posted an image on its Instagram, stating that “abortion is still a crime in Colombia”.

“The Constitutional Court, as it has done in the past, has overstepped its authority and has allowed the abortion without penalisation up to the 24th week (6 months of gestation). It has turned its back on the most defenceless, but we will never leave them”, stressed YWAM.