Debates about the legalization of abortion in argentina: The catholic church and its relationships with the presidential governments under democracy (1983-2018)

Abstract

This article analyzes the historical relationship between the Catholic Church and Argentina’s various presidential governments with regard to debates on the legalization/decriminalization of abortion (1983-2018). An account is provided of the ways that the relationship between democratic governments and the ecclesiastical hierarchy was marked by moments of contradiction and/or consensus that were decisive for the recognition — or rejection — of sexual and (non-) reproductive rights. In 2018, the proposed Law on Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy (IVE) was voted down in the national Senate due to the conservatism of most of the Argentine political leadership and the constant pressure exerted by the ecclesiastical hierarchy.