Zika and Abortion in Latin America

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Around the region abortion is legal only in Cuba, Uruguay, and in Mexico City, where there is no restriction in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.  In most other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, abortion is legal in some restricted cases, specifically, if the mother’s life or health is in danger, if she was a victim of rape or incest, or if the fetus is impaired.  And in Chile and El Salvador, abortion is banned under all circumstances.  The Zika virus has suddenly brought the issue into sharp regional focus, and supercharged an already fraught debate in many countries.