President Rodrigo Chaves has committed to amending, by decree, the regulation governing cases of impunity and therapeutic abortion under Article 121 of the Penal Code before October 15, according to the Evangelical Alliance.
According to Trivisión, Chaves plans to modify the regulation on impunity and therapeutic abortion to restrict it to situations where the life of the mother or unborn child is at risk. This change would eliminate interpretations based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of health, fulfilling a commitment made with the Evangelical Alliance.
In 2019, President Carlos Alvarado and Health Minister Daniel Salas signed a technical standard regulating therapeutic pregnancy termination applicable when a woman’s life or health is at risk, in accordance with Article 121 of the Penal Code. In July this year, Deputy Fabricio Alvarado requested that President Chaves dismiss Health Minister Mary Munive for not having changed this standard. He indicated that Chaves had promised during his campaign to amend it to attract conservative votes, according to a report by El Mundo.CR.
The technical standard for therapeutic pregnancy termination, signed on December 12, 2019, and reviewed by Costa Rica’s Social Security Fund (CCSS), establishes a three-day period for medical evaluation. It requires the woman’s consent, defines authorized medical centers, allows for a second evaluation if the first is negative, guarantees evidence-based information and comprehensive care, and respects healthcare personnel’s conscience objections. The Ministry of Health oversees its compliance.
The Costa Rican Evangelical Alliance Federation (FAEC) represents evangelical churches in Costa Rica. It coordinates leadership among its members, promotes unity within its community, and supervises scriptural interpretation and church participation in national affairs.
Rodrigo Chaves Robles is an economist from San José and has been serving as Costa Rica’s president since May 8, 2022. Son of Rodrigo Chaves Arguedas and Alicia Robles Jiménez, he worked for 27 years at the World Bank across various regions globally and served as Finance Minister between 2019 and 2020. With a doctorate in Economics from Ohio State University, he faces post-pandemic challenges in leading the country.
