If there were ever a situation in which both conservatives and liberals could agree that abortion is the right choice, it is this one.

11-year-old Belén is pregnant after being continually raped by her stepfather. Due to her young age, both she and the fetus’ life are at risk. However, abortion is not legal in her native county of Chile, where Catholic and conservative forces dominate.

There are only five countries in the world that do not, under any circumstances, allow abortion, and Chile is one of them. While abortion used to be legal in this country, abortion became a relic of the past under the rule of dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1973, an oversight that has yet to be corrected under their new government.

As of this morning, Belén released a statement that she will carry her pregnancy to term and raise her child, a decision that the conservative President adamantly supported.

Think about it. An eleven-year-old girl who is the victim of incest rape has to now become a mother because she has no other options. Because she’s so young, a pregnancy is putting both herself and her child at risk. But even if she decided to keep the baby willingly, others in her position shouldn’t be forced into the decision. They should be able to make these decisions for themselves.

(image via Shutterstock)



