El Ciudadano
Original article: El proyecto antiaborto se triza por dentro: Ossandón retira firma y admite que fue “error” patrocinarlo
The anti-abortion bill championed by far-right factions is unraveling from within, as one of its promoters, Ximena Ossandón, a deputy from the National Renewal (RN) party, announced she will withdraw her support and admitted it was a «mistake» to sponsor the legislation.
The initiative titled ‘Listen to Their Heart’ proposes that women must listen to fetal heartbeats before they can proceed with an abortion. It was presented in mid-June by Ossandón alongside other deputies including Cristóbal Urruticoechea (Libertarian National Party), Chiara Barchiesi (Republican Party), Catalina del Real (Republican Party), Álvaro Jofré (Libertarian National Party), and Claudia Reyes (Republican Party).
The goal is to modify Article 119 of the Health Code, specifically the informed consent procedure that doctors must follow before performing an abortion. It mandates that medical professionals must inform the woman about embryonic or fetal heart activity prior to the procedure and must offer to let her listen to the heartbeats using electronic instruments, along with a clear description of what she hears.
According to the text, the presence of heart activity is deemed «an objective and verifiable clinical data» that strengthens the quality of informed consent for women seeking abortions. However, the regulation has triggered widespread criticism as it obligates doctors to offer women the chance to listen to fetal heartbeats before performing an abortion under the three legal exceptions. It also stipulates that the clinician must refuse to perform the procedure if the patient does not accept this condition, an act that has been described as obstetric violence and re-victimization of women and girls.
In light of the controversy, Ossandón stated she would withdraw her support for the bill, claiming she was surprised by «the last part of the project» that mandates women to listen to fetal heartbeats before being allowed to terminate a pregnancy, as it was not conveyed to her by Deputy Urruticoechea.
Ossandón: «It Was My Mistake to Sign It»
In an interview with CNN Chile, Ossandón was asked whether she wished the Libertarian National deputy had informed her of that specific aspect. She replied that she «would have liked» to have been informed but admitted that «it was my mistake to sign it.»
«The signing wasn’t because I am entirely against the project. When this project was presented to me, I thought it was very reasonable because it involved the doctor offering the woman the chance to listen to the heartbeats,” she explained.
She justified her initial support for the bill by stating that she believes the Constitution protects the life of the unborn.
«Informing a woman about the fetal heartbeat before she undergoes an abortion can provide her with more information and might even change her mind at the last minute,» she indicated.
«However, this does not mean that the obligation to offer it at the end should have been instituted,» she nuanced, distancing herself from the final content of the project.
Ossandón suggested moving forward with another legislation where individuals are offered the option, but where the woman can accept it freely.
La entrada Anti-Abortion Bill Crumbles as Ossandón Withdraws Support, Calls It a «Mistake» to Sponsor se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.
🔥 Ver noticia completa en ElCiudadano.cl 🔥
