Security personnel from the Chamber of Deputies of the State of Mexico sprayed protesters pushing for the decriminalization of abortion with gas from fire extinguishers and pressure water hoses.
Since 2019 there is an initiative presented to the Local Chamber of Deputies, but so far this has not proceeded and is not an issue on the agenda of the Congress of the State of Mexico.
Read: 14 years after the ILE in mexico city, what challenges does access to legal and safe abortion face in the rest of the country?
For this reason, collectives, women and pregnant people came to demonstrate at the legislative precinct to demand that the issue be part of the agenda and can pass to the Plenary before the end of the legislative period.
It is outrageous that the members of @Legismex received feminist groups last week to talk about the ILE and today they receive them in this way @misabelish @SeMujerEdomex @CODHEM pic.twitter.com/zXOK6SiKzw
— Laura Noriega Arce (@LauraCaro8) August 10, 2021
Various groups denounce simulation by legislators, in particular from the Morena party and the PRD, whom they accuse of not complying with the agreements to convene commissions to unify an initiative of the Legal Interruption of Pregnancy (ILE).
“The collectives and women who promote the decriminalization of abortion in the Edomex acted peacefully and for weeks we have been seeking dialogue with the deputies; yet they greet us with gas and pressure water hoses,” some of the protesters said via social media.
We condemn all forms of violence and repression @misabelish @Legismex @MarianaUribe30@MaurilioHdzGlz@karinalabastida
LET TODAY’S ACTIONS NOT BE CRIMINALISED. #Edomex #seraleyedomex #ILEEdomexNoSimulacion #AbortoLibreORevolucion pic.twitter.com/V6REy94a9Q
— Jessica Estrella Duran D. (@jestrella_dd) August 10, 2021
Laura Noriega, a member of the Marías Acompañantes collective, said that several collectives came together to develop a draft reform initiative for the decriminalization of abortion and several legislators met with them to work together.
According to Noriega, since last week the collectives met with the deputies of Morena and the PRD to the work tables: it was agreed that the collectives would gather during the weekend signed exhortations to support the initiative and that the legislators would present the initiative on Monday, August 9, but it did not happen.
You may be interested: Feminist collectives call for virtual ‘handkerchief’ for decriminalization of abortion in Edomex
“Yesterday Monday we tried to contact the deputies who received us and the communication was completely cut off, since neither the WhatsApp messages nor on Twitter responded, they did not receive anyone anymore.”
That is why, explains Noriega, they organized to demonstrate in front of the Chamber of Deputies and press for the unfulfilled agreements, but they closed all accesses and began to spray them with water, with gas extinguishers and to encapsulate them.
“It was a simulation of what they did with us, of excited us, to receive us, to organize work tables so that in the end nothing was done,” she says.
For Noriega, this shows that there is no real commitment to fighting for women’s rights.
Currently, Morena has a majority in the Mexican Congress with 39 seats, followed by the PRI, with 12; PAN, 9; PT,7; PRD, 3; Green Party, 2; plus three nonparty lawmakers.
In addition, Morena chairs the Board of Directors, as well as the Political Coordination Board, the Human Rights, Gender Equality and Health Board.
WE DEMAND THAT JUCOPO stop attacking Mexican women and put on the agenda today the initiative presented for legal abortion. @Legismex @MaurilioHdzGlz @anuarazar @MarlonMrtnzMx @DipGuadarrama @Omar_Ortega_A#AbortionLibreORevolution
— Collective Lunas Tlalnepantla (@MujeresTlalne) August 10, 2021
Deputy Omar Ortega Alvarez said that several exhortations have been made, however, “those in charge of convening the commissions (presidents of the same) have not done so; and when it has been put on the agenda, they empty and sabotage the sessions.”
The PRD Parliamentary Group in the State of Mexico issued a statement saying that they support the initiative to decriminalize abortion and asked not to postpone the discussion any longer.
#POSICIONAMIENTO
STATE COORDINATOR OF WOMEN #PRD STATE OF MEXICO. pic.twitter.com/gPKC28wycT
— PRD State of Mexico (@prdedomex) August 10, 2021
Hello, we have made several exhortations. However, those in charge of convening the commissions (chairpersons of the commissions) in @legismex have not done so; and when it has been put on the agenda, they empty and sabotage the sessions. https://t.co/qqG6ix0oAD
– Omar Ortega Álvarez (@Omar_Ortega_A) August 10, 2021
Currently, only four states in the country are allowed legal interruption of pregnancy (ILE): CDMX, Oaxaca, Hidalgo, and Veracruz.
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