Posted on 08/10/2026 2:13:28 PM PDT by Morgana
Six Right-Wing Lawmakers Introduced Bill Last Month Women's Groups Protest "Emotional Pressure"
In Chile, a bill that would require women seeking an abortion to listen to the fetal heartbeat prior to the procedure has sparked controversy.
On the 10th, Yonhap News quoted a report by Argentina's Canal 26 from the previous day, reporting that political circles and women's organizations in Chile are opposing the so-called "Listen to the Fetal Heartbeat (Escucha su corazon)" bill.
This bill was jointly submitted on June 25 by six lawmakers, including Cristobal Urruticoechea, a staunch right-wing lawmaker, as well as members of the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Republican Party, and National Renewal (RN).
This bill seeks to amend Article 119 of Chile's Health Code to require medical staff to inform women before terminating a pregnancy whether any embryonic or fetal cardiac activity is detected, and to allow them to directly listen to the heartbeat. While a woman can refuse to listen to the heartbeat, in that case, the doctor is not allowed to proceed with the abortion procedure. In effect, the bill makes listening to the heartbeat a mandatory prerequisite for the procedure.
Since 2017, Chile has strictly permitted abortion only in three cases: when the mother's life is at risk, when the fetus has a fatal disease, or in cases of pregnancy resulting from rape. The original bill intended to apply to all three permissible circumstances, but later excluded cases where the mother's life is in danger. As a result, the bill now applies only to abortions permitted due to fatal fetal disease or pregnancies resulting from rape, where the fetus is not viable outside the womb.
The political and social debate over this bill intensified last month. Women's groups and progressive factions argued that effectively forcing women who seek a legal abortion to listen to the heartbeat constitutes emotional pressure and is a measure restricting reproductive rights. On the other hand, the bill's sponsors countered that providing information about the fetal heartbeat gives women an opportunity to reconsider their decision regarding abortion.
The Chilean government has not announced a clear stance on the bill. Health Minister Ximena Aguilera expressed a skeptical view on August 3, stating that there is no medical evidence that listening to a fetal heartbeat changes a woman's decision to have an abortion. While President Jose Antonio Kast's administration has prioritized public safety and economic recovery as key national tasks and has taken a cautious approach to so-called "culture war" issues, including abortion, this bill has also revealed divisions within the ruling right-leaning bloc. Ximena Ossandon, a National Renewal lawmaker who signed the bill, withdrew her support last month, stating that she had signed without properly reviewing its contents.
Currently, the bill is undergoing its first legislative review in the Health Committee of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies and has not yet reached a vote. Although the right-leaning bloc currently holds a numerical advantage, it remains uncertain whether the bill will actually pass.
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Jim
The dismissive “cancerous blob of tissue” argument immediately evaporates in a puff of logic.
They are making people hear the actual heartbeat of their child, then still choose to murder the child if they are that depraved. A good plan that would identify murderers.
Seeing an ultrasound changed my mind on abortion all those years ago.
Thank you! 😊. Blobs of tissue don’t have a heartbeat 💓💓💓💓
Have you ever seen on TV when women hear their baby’s heartbeat for the first time? How can any women hear that and still have an abortion?
Google Dr. Anthony Levatino and watch the procedure.
Nice. Nightmare forever if...
Tell us more.
The left doesn’t want people to realize the truth about what they’re doing. Instead, they want people to think they’re removing a tissue blob.
I suggest a DNA test between mother and baby which would prove the two are separate human beings because the DNA won’t match no matter how early you take the sample.
Blessings to you and your family.
As libs are fond of saying; “If it saves one life....”
I’ve posted about him in the past.
❤️❤️❤️❤️
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