20:58

Bogotá, Colombia

In Bogotá, Colombia’s capital, today’s demonstrations had a timely significance following the Constitutional Court’s decision not to modify the restrictive abortion law last Monday.

“Today’s marches show that the fight for our rights is not over,” said Gina Borre, a pro-choice activist with the Viejas Verdes movement. “Each year we are more united, more powerful.”



Demonstrators, many wearing green bandanas, gathered at the Centre for Peace and Memory near downtown Bogotá on Sunday morning, before marching towards Parque Olaya in the city’s south.



“This is a debate that always gets politicized, and their are many powerful interests, like the catholic and evangelical churches,” said Olga Amparo, the coordinator of local women’s rights group Casa de la Mujer. “But we are talking about healthcare and rights - which are universal.”



Abortion is currently illegal in Colombia, except in cases where the life and health of the pregnant woman or the fetus are at risk, or in cases where the conception was the result of incest or rape. The court had an opportunity to loosen the law, though ultimately decided to maintain the status quo, disappointing watchdogs and activists across the region.



“By failing to take this historic opportunity to move towards the decriminalization of abortion in Colombia, the Constitutional Court has turned its back on women and their struggle to end the cycle of violence and the control mechanisms of which they have been the victims,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International, in a press release following the decision on Monday.

With the law so restrictive, many women are forced to seek clandestine, illegal abortions. Over the last decade or so, Colombia has investigated 4,802 people for having or aiding in illegal abortions, according to the country’s attorney general. Nearly 500 of those cases were women under 18 years old.

“Our bodies means our decisions,” said Natalia López, a student from Bogotá. “The fight goes on.”