In an earlier assertion to The New York Instances, the president’s workplace denied that Mr. Giammattei had accepted bribes.
Guatemala already mandated jail time for anybody who acquired an abortion, besides in circumstances the place the lady’s life was in danger, and same-sex {couples} have by no means been allowed to marry within the nation. However for the president, the brand new invoice carries symbolic weight, analysts mentioned.
“He’s reaching out and attempting to amplify his base when he’s more and more weak and remoted, and more and more in confrontation with the Biden administration,” mentioned Eric Olson, an knowledgeable on Central America on the Seattle Worldwide Basis. “This additionally helps his relationship with a community of conservative evangelical congressmen in the US.”
On Wednesday, Mr. Giammattei participated in a ceremony declaring Guatemala the “pro-life capital” of Latin America. He was joined by representatives of the Household Analysis Council, a distinguished evangelical group based mostly in Washington, the group said.
In remarks recorded for the occasion, one American lawmaker, Senator Steve Daines, Republican of Montana, praised the Guatemalan chief “for his devoted efforts to defend the lives of unborn youngsters.” Mr. Daines, who’s chairman of the Senate’s Professional-Life Caucus, mentioned, “The unborn are underneath assault from highly effective exterior forces, notably in Latin America.”
The measure was greeted with blended reactions in Guatemala, even amongst anti-abortion activists.
José Estuardo Córdova, authorized director for the Household Issues Affiliation, one of many nation’s fundamental anti-abortion teams, mentioned that whereas the group supported harsher penalties for abortion suppliers, rising penalties for girls who endure the process made much less sense.
“I believe it was accredited a bit on the fly,” Mr. Córdova mentioned. “The method of making this invoice has lacked critical technical evaluation.”
Supply: NY Times