El Ciudadano
Original article: Confech y organizaciones feministas sellan primera alianza en Pañuelazo nacional contra agenda antiaborto de la ultraderecha
For the first time, the Confederation of Students of Chile (Confech) has joined forces with over 50 feminist organizations across the country, marching under a single banner as part of the national «Pañuelazo», scheduled for Friday, July 31, aimed at opposing the anti-abortion agenda promoted by the far-right.
The mobilization, which will span 26 municipalities nationwide, aims to actively confront legislation that not only seeks to restrict access to abortion under three circumstances but also imposes protocols that re-victimize women and adolescents who decide to terminate a pregnancy.
«For this Friday, we have called upon over 50 feminist organizations across the nation to raise our voices against a proposal intended to punish and disregard the autonomy of women, girls, and those who gestate when accessing abortion under the three legal grounds,» said Laura Manzi, spokesperson for the Feminist Coordinating Committee 8M (CF8M).
The mobilization aims to challenge the bill called «Listen to Their Heart», introduced by National Libertarian Party deputy Cristóbal Urruticochea, which requires medical personnel to force girls and women to listen to fetal heartbeats before being allowed to undergo abortion procedures under existing legal circumstances.
Manzi characterized the initiative as «a measure that neither expands rights nor improves care: it merely imposes more obstacles, pressure, and re-victimization during a moment of extreme vulnerability.» The slogans circulating on social media under the phrases «Hear My Decision» and «Rape is Not Birth Policy» reflect the rejection of what is viewed as a cruel intrusion into the privacy of individuals already facing complex decisions.
The legislative offensive from the far-right not only poses psychological threats but also includes a disturbing punitive element. Margarita Peña, another CF8M spokesperson, recalled that Deputy Agustín Romero (Republican Party) has promoted a parallel project aimed at penalizing those who assist in facilitating or distributing medications like misoprostol, used in abortion procedures.
In comments reported by Radio Nuevo Mundo, Peña stated that this initiative aligns with the same “punitive, punitive approach against women’s rights” evident in Urruticochea’s proposal.
«What they seek is to definitively eliminate the reproductive and sexual rights of women,» she warned to the cited media.
She also noted that these projects from the far-right are rooted in an ideological tradition that, according to Peña, traces back to the conservative thinking of Jaime Guzmán, who argued that «women should have children in all circumstances, even if the child results from a rape, even if the child is born with deformities or even if the woman dies» and in the «Constitution formed during the civic-military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
The Contradiction of the Far-Right
When analyzing the discourse of those who self-identify as «pro-life,» feminist leaders highlight a profound contradiction between their moral rhetoric and their political practices.
Peña argued that both the Republican Party and the National Libertarian Party are part of a “reactionary international,” which aims to «ban contraception as well as the right to abortion» claiming to be pro-life while aligning with the administration of José Antonio Kast to implement regressive social rights and cuts.
The call to action translates into a massive mobilization that has managed to forge unexpected alliances within the social spectrum. Under the coordination of more than 50 organizations, including the Feminist Coordinating Committee 8M, La Morada, the Chilean Network Against Violence Towards Women, the Indigenous Women’s Network, the Humanas Corporation, and Confech itself, a diverse turnout is expected, including workers, students, unemployed individuals, and caregivers.
According to Peña, the collaboration with “workers at all levels, informal workers, the unemployed, caregivers” has become essential in confronting not only the legislative threat but also the government of José Antonio Kast and the global reactionary current that seeks to reverse acquired rights.
Details of the «Hear My Decision» Pañuelazo
The call for the «pañuelazo,» under the slogan «Hear My Decision», extends from the north to the south of the country.
While the main meeting point for the mobilization will be Metro Baquedano in Santiago at 6:00 PM on Friday, parallel demonstrations have already been confirmed in cities such as Iquique, Antofagasta, Copiapó, La Serena, Valparaíso, Chillán, Concepción, Temuco, Valdivia, and Puerto Montt, with over 18 municipalities confirmed.
The participation of Confech in this alliance marks a significant milestone, as it demonstrates the strength of the student movement alongside organized women, showing that the defense of sexual and reproductive rights has become an intergenerational and inter-sectoral banner of struggle.
The stage is set for the cry of «Hear My Decision» to resound powerfully in every corner of the country, challenging the far-right as it seeks to impose anti-abortion projects that constitute a setback to the reproductive and sexual rights of Chilean women and girls.
La entrada Confech and Feminist Organizations Forge Alliance in National «Pañuelazo» Against Right-Wing Anti-Abortion Agenda se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.
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