For the first time "there is a serious, mature debate on this, and a strong possibility that abortion will be decriminalised, which would be a very positive step in terms of the rights of women," Martha Júarez, spokeswoman for the non-governmental Information Group on Reproductive Choice (GIRE), told IPS....

An estimated four million abortions a year are practiced in Latin America, and 5,000 women die as a result, according to the WHO. Thirty to 40 percent of women who go through the procedure suffer life-threatening complications.

"Deciding whether or not to have a child should be exclusively the woman’s choice. That is her right, and she should not have to put her life at risk for it," Juárez said.

"It is not our point of view that abortion should become a general practice. The important thing is to have a public health system that improves and extends everything to do with sex education and prevention of unwanted pregnancies," she said

For those who have been paying attention to the threats of the Catholic Right in the United States, this is a very interesting development.  For years the church hierarchy have been telling process Catholics that our views on birth-control/and choice, were privileged views of spoiled wealthy catholics, out of touch more conservative poor  Latin Americans , who have more important things to worry about than female equality.  This argument is based on the notion that women's rights and poverty are separate concerns. Furthermore, they have been telling us immigration from those countries would soon bias the government toward the views of the right.  Now it seems the parties representing the poor are just as fed up with the churches views on women,as process Catholics are, and those are the groups most likely to immigrate to America.

When will the church give up the idea that these views are appealing to any broad constituency?  The recent problems at Ave Maria are another clue that the hierarchy are dangerously out of touch with most people.  I believe it may ultimately destroy the church if they don't change.