Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Live from Mexican Supreme court - crucial abortion decision today

Here you can watch the deliberations live.

Abortion rights in Mexico: Crucial day as Supreme court votes

It's front page news in El Universal, La Jornada, and Milenio, and for a reason:
Today is an extremely important day for abortion rights in Mexico.

Following a splendid initiative by Supreme Court Minister (judge) Fernando Franco González Salas, the Supreme Court is deliberating over whether the highly repressive state laws passed in San Luis Potosi and Baja California where a woman has essentially no right over her body to have an abortion whatsoever.

If it rejects the laws, it will be a huge setback for the restrictionists, who have pushed extremist legislation (no day after pill, no abort if incest, rape, etc) in a majority of Mexico's state.

Even Calderón waded clumsily and stupidly into the debate, arguing there is a "constitutional right to life" and that anti-abortion legislation falls under this.

Rumors are the vote will vote narrowly in favor of rejecting the SLP - BC laws. Stay tuned for the news.

Emmy for Presunto Culpable / Presumed Guilty

Fantastic news for the makers of Presunto Culpable / Presumed Guilty: It was just awarded an Emmy for Best Investigative Journalism.

It's a fantastic documentary, and I've showed as well in my seminar on Mexican politics, where it was most definitely a crowd pleaser. Go see it if you haven't!