The measure was approved a week before the national elections.  

Of the five presidential candidates, three were conservatives and two were liberals.  Only liberal Edmundo Jarquin, of the Sandinista Renovation Movement, opposed the abortion ban.  He had the support of the Feminist Movement of Nicaragua.

The other liberal supported the total ban.  This was none other than the winner, Daniel Ortega, former president of Nicaragua, one time revolutionary Sandinista.…

Why?  He got religion, yessiree, became a devout Roman Catholic.  So hey.  Forget about the sexual abuse charges. [Ortega's daughter has accused him of being a child molester, of having systematically sexually assaulted her from the time she was 11 years old.] He denied them, after all, and since he refused to give up parliamentary immunity to allow the charges to be tested in court, they were thrown out.…  

These days he’s all about peace, love, and all babies all the time for all pregnant girls and women of Nicaragua.  Ortega’s former enemies, the Contras who once fought him in a bitter civil war, and the Catholic Church whom he once accused of collaborating with the CIA, stand united as brothers in their belief that Ortega is a new man now.  Especially since he supported the total ban.

When Ortega’s daughter outed Ortega for his sexual abuse, one-time Sandinista leader and feminist Sofia Montenegro—one of the many woman Sandinista members who left to work on women’s sexual abuse and domestic violence issues—said Ortega’s daughter would do to him what Somoza, Reagan and the Contras never could.  

But that didn’t happen.  What’s a little sexual molestation charge among bro’s?  Ortega continued to appeal to the poor and downtrodden of Nicaragua, all the while his jewel-bedecked wife called their daughter a “slut” and took Ortega’s side.  

Corruption amongst conservatives in power allowed Ortega to deflect attention from his own corruption by working the crowds, appealing to them,  calling government leaders  criminals and “Somozista.”  Now, without explaining how, he says he will provide jobs, improve human rights and turn Nicaragua into the most developed country in the region.

The total abortion ban comes on the heels of intense political controversy over a 2003 therapeutic abortion provided to a nine-year-old Nicaraguan girl who had been raped in Costa Rica, either by a stranger or her stepfather—who would not submit to tests to rule him out.  When the family returned to Nicaragua, doctors agreed that the girl's health would be as jeopardized by a full-term pregnancy as by an abortion.  She ultimately obtained the abortion at a private clinic, despite theats by the “Family Ministry” to prosecute doctors who provided it.

Autonomous Women’s Movements of Nicaragua plea issued before the vote

As part of the electoral campaign, the Frente Sandinista under the leadership of ex-revolutionary Daniel Ortega and his Somocist vice presidential candidate, along with other right wing parties (PLC, ALN) have formed an alliance with the Vatican hierarchy and some evangelical churches to… outlaw any form of abortion.

This violates established legal process and the secular constitution of the republic as well as basic human rights. It will roll back rights established in a law allowing for therapeutic abortion that has existed since 1891.

The only party openly in favor of guaranteeing women’s rights and the therapeutic abortion law is the MRS (Movement for Sandinista Renewal) who has signed an alliance with the Autonomous Women’s Movement.  If the new law passes… it means a death sentence for poor women with pregnancies that threaten their lives and torture for raped women, or any woman who can’t or doesn’t want to go ahead with an unwanted/unplanned pregnancy for her health or because of problems with the fetus.

It will also be an excuse for political persecution against the women’s movement and the medical profession if one of these parties wins the election. Women and doctors involved in abortion could face up to 30 years in prison and it will be illegal to promote the right to an abortion, as it will be  encouraging a “crime.”

This is a flagrant violation of women’s right to life, to health, to make decisions over our own lives. It is a form of institutionalized torture and paves the way for dictatorial measures that violate of our rights as Nicaraguan citizens to free speech and free association, men and women alike. 

We are facing a new inquisition. Behind this is also the repression of sexual rights which is also on the agenda of religious fundamentalist and their machista and corrupt allies in the political arena.

—Autonomous Women’s Movements Movimiento Autónomo de Mujeres (MAM)

Feminist Movement of Nicaragua plea: Stop Sandinasta Betrayal!

Campaign to stop Sandinistas and Chuch Right wingers voting to pass a law to allow therapeutic abortion

In Nicaragua, the Catholic Church hierarchy, together with the FSLN and other right wing parties are voting on a law to penalize therapeutic abortion. The present law allowing for therapeutic abortion (since 1981) cites as justified causes: a pregnant woman’s life, serious damage to the fetus or embryo and pregnancies due to rape.

The President of the republic Enrique Bolaños has sent a document to the National Assembly asking members to vote on the bill without it going through normal procedures in the Justice Commission, but discussing it only in the plenary session. This means the proposal could be approved in only 48 hours.

If therapeutic abortion is made a crime this means that a large number of women and girls who have been raped or are victims of sexual abuse in the family will be forced to carry their pregnancies further and give birth, it will condemn to die women who have life-threatening pregnancies, or force us to give birth to children with serious birth defects without necessarily having the adequate conditions (emotional, economic, or family environment) to attend to their need as they should be.

WE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR URGENT ACTION IN ORDER TO STOP THIS VIOLATION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS, ESPECIALLY THE RIGHT TO LIFE.

Michèle Najlis, Director Department of Theology, Ecumenical Centre Antonio Valdivieso, and Member of the Feminist Movement of Nicaragua

These feminist groups asked supporters take actions on behalf of the women of Nicaragua. 

Since the vote has already been taken, we’re too late to stop it.  But Autonomous Women’s Movements intends to seek an injunction against the ban.  If we get our names on their mailing lists by writing to them, hopefully we will continue to learn how to offer our support.

In sum, a leftist accused of incest and sexual assault joins forces with conservatives and those backed by the Roman Catholic Church in supporting a ban on abortion in the hopes he’ll become president.  As always, women’s and girls’ lives and bodies are the necessary sacrifice.

(excerpted from original post, Wednesday, November 1)

Hearthttp://womensspace.wordpress.com/2006/11/01/war-on-women-in-nicaragua-left-and-right-unite-in-total-ban-on-abortion-trade-womens-lives-and-bodies-for-political-power/

Pre-election poll: Nicaraguan people didn't want abortion ban

December 4— A poll taken two months before the election showed that most Nicaraguans approved of legal abortion if a woman's life is in danger. For over 100 years, Nicaraguan law had allowed pregnancy to be terminated in such circumstances.

In spite of this, the National Assembly subsequently approved a bill to ban "therapeutic abortion" and President Bolaños signed it into law. The new law provides up to eight years in prison for a doctor who performs an abortion.

Polling Data: In regard to therapeutic abortions—abortions that occur when the life of a pregnant woman is in danger—do you think they should be legal or illegal?

Legal, strongly 20 percent

Legal, somewhat 49 percent

Illegal, somewhat 10 percent

Illegal, strongly 18 percent

Don’t know / Refused 4 percent

Source: Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research

Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,000 Nicaraguan adults, conducted from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2, 2006. Margin of error is 4 percent.

http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/13998