page_title: Abortion in Venezuela
section_title: Social activism
hierarchical_section_title: Abortion in Venezuela / Social activism
caption_attribution_description: English: The words translate to "fetuses go to paradise, legal abortion." This art is advocating for abortion rights in Argentina.
context_page_description: Abortion in Venezuela is currently illegal except in some specific cases outlined in the Venezuelan Constitution. The Latin American/Caribbean region holds one of the highest rates of induced abortion in the world; it is calculated that for every 1,000 live births, there are just over 300 abortions, many of which are illegal and/or clandestine abortions. There is not a clear statistic for Venezuela-specific abortion rates, possibly due to a great majority of the abortions that occur going undocumented. The punishment for a woman who has an abortion for any other reason is a prison sentence lasting anywhere between six months and two years. While the punishment for a doctor or any person who performs the procedure is between one and three years, harsher penalties may apply if the pregnant woman dies as a result of the procedure. There has been debate over this topic for several years, among other issues pertaining to reproductive health, particularly in the Catholic church. The current status of abortion in Venezuela is exacerbated by the economic crisis fueled by a lack of access to healthcare.
context_section_description: During his presidency, Hugo Chavez operated Venezuela under a socialist economy, which was meant to promote equality. Some groups, such as the Feminists in Free and Direct Action for Safe Abortions in Revolution, were formed during his presidency. This group, along with many others, advocates for ending dangerous clandestine abortion. Similarly, Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly (ANC), formed in July 2017, advocates for the reformation of Venezuela's constitution to include women's right to abort beyond those outlined by the “indications model.” 
  Other efforts to support the movement include the efforts of one group to use a telephone hotline to inform women on how to safely have an abortion. Misoprostol is a drug that can be used to induce labor and cause a medical abortion, which is any abortion done via drug. This hotline provides women with the ability to make an informed decision about proceeding with an abortion. It does not, however, change the legal status of abortion in Venezuela, nor does it provide women access to medical care. Due to abortion's legal status, Venezuelans often obtain misoprostol through the black market, which is expensive and puts the mother at risk.
caption: "Fetuses go to paradise, legalize abortion."  This art is advocating for abortion rights in Argentina as Venezuela continues to face a lack of abortion rights.
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