[ti:Operations Ending Pregnancies Legalized in Pope's Native Argentina] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Argentina's Senate passed a law legalizing abortion [00:06.36]up to the 14th week of pregnancy Wednesday. [00:11.64]The vote came after the senate debated the measure for 12 hours. [00:18.24]It is considered a victory for the women's movement [00:23.84]that has been fighting for the measure for more than 30 years. [00:30.48]The vote also means that abortion will also be legal [00:34.92]after the 14th week in cases of rape [00:39.56]or if there is a danger to the mother's life. [00:45.72]Argentina's new law might affect the legality of abortion [00:51.88]across South America, where the operation is mostly illegal. [01:00.00]The measure passed by a vote of 38 to 29. [01:05.88]The bill had already been approved [01:08.96]by Argentina's Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, [01:14.76]and had the support of President Alberto Fernández. [01:20.96]"Safe, legal and free abortion is now the law," [01:25.32]Fernández wrote on Twitter after the vote. [01:30.32]During his campaign for the presidency, [01:33.92]Fernandez had promised to legalize abortion. [01:38.16]"Today, we are a better society that expands women's rights [01:43.80]and guarantees public health," he added. [01:47.88]Argentina, the former home of Pope Francis, [01:53.08]is the largest Latin American country to legalize abortion. [01:58.92]The operation is legal in Uruguay, Cuba, Mexico City, [02:05.40]Mexico's Oaxaca state, the Antilles and French Guiana. [02:12.32]But it remains largely illegal across South America. [02:17.96]Outside the Senate, pro- and anti-abortion activists [02:23.28]gathered, separated by a large barrier. [02:27.68]The bill's supporters wore the color green [02:31.48]that represents their abortion rights movement. [02:35.32]They waved green flags as Vice President [02:39.64]Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced the result. [02:45.76]She cried "legal abortion in the hospital!" as the measure was passed. [02:52.36]Argentina until now has punished women [02:56.40]and those who help them end pregnancies. [03:00.12]The only exceptions were cases involving rape [03:04.20]or a risk to the health of the mother, [03:07.68]but those were denied in some parts of the country. [03:12.64]Before the vote, the Roman Catholic bishop's conference [03:17.44]had denounced the measure as an "obsession." [03:21.48]Just hours before the Senate debate began Tuesday, [03:27.04]the Pope tweeted: "The Son of God was born an outcast, [03:32.32]in order to tell us that every outcast is a child of God." [03:38.64]Following the vote, the bishops released a statement [03:42.68]saying the measure "will deepen even further [03:46.36]the divisions in our country." [03:49.08]It said the country's leadership was distant [03:53.08]from the anti-abortion sentiment across the nation. [03:57.76]Before the vote, the Catholic Church [04:00.80]had joined forces with evangelical Christians [04:04.76]in the country in an effort to defeat the measure. [04:09.44]"The Catholic Church in Argentina has great sway. [04:14.16]There's a very strong Catholic culture in the political world," [04:19.96]sociologist Fortunato Mallimaci told the French News Agency. [04:26.80]He wrote a book about religion and Argentina. [04:32.04]Argentine lawmakers rejected an earlier abortion bill in 2018. [04:38.96]This time, it was supported by the government. [04:44.24]The outcome was considered uncertain because the political parties [04:49.60]gave their senators the freedom to vote as they chose. [04:54.52]Amnesty International celebrated the vote [04:58.28]as "an inspiration for other countries...and the world." [05:03.52]Those against the measure watched sadly as the vote took place. [05:09.36]"These politicians aren't representing the majority," said Luciana Prat. [05:17.16]"People are against this," she added. [05:20.72]Government numbers say illegal abortions [05:24.84]have caused more than 3,000 deaths in the country since 1983. [05:32.88]The measure permits health professionals and private medical centers [05:38.00]to refuse to perform abortions. [05:41.52]But they are required to tell a woman where to go to get the operation. [05:48.88]An abortion cannot be refused if the woman's life or health is in danger. [05:57.36]I'm Susan Shand. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM