The Argentine Chamber of Deputies voted on Thursday, June 14 to legalize elective abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. It also accelerates the process in cases where a woman has been raped.

The lower house of Congress on Thursday voted 129-125 in favour of legislation that makes Argentina the first major Latin American nation to ease strict antiabortion laws. The decision by the House came after a long and tense debate that lasted for 23 hours.

The bill will now require approval from the Senate, where the vote is also expected to be tight. President Mauricio Macri has said that while he opposes abortion, he wouldn’t veto the legislation if approved in Congress.

The debate over decriminalizing abortions during the first trimester has polarized Argentina, a country of 44 million. Argentina is the home country of Pope Francis, but the Catholic Church has seen its once-powerful influence wane in recent years.

Polls have consistently shown that a majority of Argentines favor the legalization of abortion and that there is a clear generational divide.

The Aljazeera reports an estimated half a million clandestine abortions are carried out every year in Argentina, with thousands of women hospitalised because of complications. These women could also have been sentenced to up to 4 years in prison if found guilty of interrupting a pregnancy. Supporters of the bill emphasize that legalization would reduce the number of poor women who try to end their pregnancies through cheap, unsafe methods.

Abortion is highly restricted in most Latin American countries, with outright bans in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic, according to the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights. Elective abortion is legal in Uruguay, Cuba, Guyana and Mexico City.

The vote comes just weeks after Ireland, another once deeply conservative Catholic nation, overwhelmingly voted to repeal a constitutional ban on abortion, reflecting its transformation to a more secular society.

The Catholic Church in Argentina lamented the vote and called on the Senate to propose alternative legislation so women don’t have to seek abortions. “This decision hurts us as Argentines,” the Episcopal Conference of Argentina said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 15, 2018 06:55 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).