Movement Underway to Liberalize Abortion Laws
in Latin American Countries
by Magaly Llaguno, VHI Executive Director
2004

The population control movement is constantly launching anti-life campaigns in Hispanic countries, for the widespread promotion of abortifacient contraceptives; as well as hedonistic sex education programs. The anti-life movement that has been at work in all these countries for many years is promoting all of these evils that pave the way for the legalization of abortion.

A battle is underway in many Latin American countries to liberalize abortion laws. According to Latin American pro-life leaders, abortions are already being performed in their countries-where abortion is illegal for the most part-through "emergency contraception" and "menstrual regulation" or "induction." These are euphemisms for early abortion-the first caused by the pill and the IUD, and the second by using suction equipment imported into Latin America and other developing countries to "treat incomplete abortions." In fact, Latin American doctors have been encouraged at conferences, held in the United States as early as 1976, in the performance of these "menstrual extractions."

In order to counteract these anti-life attacks on Latin America-funded by countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan and by many American anti-life foundations-pro-life and family leaders are in desperate need of help.

This is exactly why Human Life International launched Vida Humana Internacional (VHI), its Hispanic Division in Miami, Florida. VHI provides assistance, training and educational materials to pro-life leaders in as many as 16 countries including the United States, which is also being targeted by anti-life organizations like Planned Parenthood. VHI offers excellent materials and assistance to these pro-lifers and to those who work with them. It organizes pro-life and family conferences and training sessions for leaders. It collaborates with Latin American bishops, some of whom support VHI not only with their prayers but also with their donations. The importance of the missionary work that VHI does in the Hispanic world cannot be underestimated. More than 48 percent of the world's Catholics are Hispanics.

VHI began in a small room in my home at the request of Fr. Paul Marx, Human Life International's founder. With the experience of 14 years of pro-life work (at that time), I was able to fit right into HLI's worldwide apostolate. From that small room VHI has expanded to a multi-nation educational effort that is reaching Hispanics as far away as Australia through the use of modern technology.

VHI has its own website in Spanish at www.vidahumana.org, which is constantly being enlarged to include all the most important aspects of every topic related to the defense of life and family. In one month alone-May 2001-VHI's website received more than 927,000 hits! There are now more than 22 life and family issues on VHI's website, including information on Catholic Church doctrine.

VHI's Spanish language, bimonthly newsletter, "Escoge la Vida" reaches countless thousands through print and the Internet. It is being used in the preparation of radio and television programs. VHI's articles and news are reproduced by important publications, including major newspapers in the United States and a number of Hispanic countries. Its radio and television programs are reaching millions in the Hispanic world.

VHI is not only providing valuable resources on life and family issues, but also the latest pro-life updates through a free weekly information service (in Spanish), which is sent to thousands by e-mail and posted in the "Noticias" (news) section of VHI's Spanish language website.

There are many other successes that we could mention concerning the pro-life/family movement in Hispanic countries, such as: the many countries that have declared March 25 the Day of the Unborn Child; Costa Rica's decision to outlaw in vitro fertilization and Chile and El Salvador changing their constitutions to give full protection to unborn children.

Because we at VHI have been so actively involved in establishing pro-life/family groups throughout , those groups are 100 percent pro-life: they don't just fight surgical abortion-they also fight against contraception, sterilization and hedonistic sex education. Pro-life and family leaders in those countries are very aware of the connection between these evils. Because of VHI's help and guidance, they are able to continue the fight against not just surgical abortion (which is just one of the consequences of family breakdown), but also the anti-life mentality and its underlying hedonistic view of marriage, children and the family.

VHI thanks Human Life International's benefactors, who through their generous donations have made it possible to do such incredible work throughout the Hispanic world. I have been with HLI for 18 years. The greatest success that HLI's Hispanic Division, Vida Humana Internacional (VHI), has achieved is, without a doubt, the countless organizations that have sprung up all over Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain, that are defending life/family. HLI/VHI has helped create a very active, vibrant, growing pro-life/family movement in these Hispanic countries. New organizations are still being founded and the movement keeps growing. HLI/VHI and our generous supporters have made this possible!

Much is at stake at this moment, however, and the next few years will be crucial. Please pray for VHI and all the pro-life and family leaders it provides assistance to.
Many countries in Latin America as well as the Caribbean are 100 percent pro-life, but that is beginning to change, little by little. Groups such as Planned Parenthood, the dissent group [ex-] Catholics for a Free Choice, the United Nations (particularly through its CEDAW initiative) and others have been implementing attacks on these life-loving families. They promote contraception, sex education and abortion under the all-too-familiar guise of "reproductive health."

Much more remains to be done because all these groups count on HLI/VHI to continue providing them with the resources to do their work and to grow. They are facing the greatest anti-life attacks ever, funded mostly (unfortunately), by U.S. foundations and organizations.

And VHI is on the forefront of countering these attacks. Here are listed just a few of the future projects we hope to cultivate to keep the anti-life agenda at bay:

The bishops who are presidents of the Episcopal Conference in their Hispanic country, as well as those who are executive secretaries and presidents of the Family Life Pastoral, have all received from VHI a letter encouraging them to start a pastoral (similar to the Courage program) in their diocese, to help those Catholics suffering from same-sex attraction disorders who wish to live a chaste life. In the letter, VHI offered the bishops assistance and materials. Currently, VHI is in the process of writing, translating and compiling educational materials in Spanish, which will be sent to the bishops in Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain. VHI hopes to be able to conduct training for this type of work in Mexico if the funding can be obtained. We would like to offer scholarships for bishops, priests, psychologists and psychiatrists and pro-life and
pro-family leaders.

Another project is the Aid to Women Network, which is our new Mexican affiliate. If we can secure funding, we hope to continue our collaboration with the Network in helping to open more crisis pregnancy centers throughout Latin America. Training sessions have already been held in several countries, and centers have opened because of them.

Vida Humana Internacional thanks you for your continued support-spiritual as well as financial-so that these projects and all of our work around the world can continue.