CHILE: Contraception pressures ruling coalition

Somewhere in a Chilean warehouse, 10,000 health department posters with the slogan "Emergency contraception: It's your decision; it's your right" lie gathering dust, after the March 8 announcement by the assistant secretary for health, Antonio Infante, that the government would distribute free emergency contraception, Postinor 2, to all women who need it. Three hours later, health minister Pedro Garcia fired him. Garcia is from the Christian Democratic Party, the largest party in Chile's ruling coalition. While the health department decided on the free Postinor 2 policy in January, the CDP claims it was unaware of it, and that party's presidential candidate opposes it. The Socialist Party's candidate, Michelle Bachelet, who is leading by 25% in polls, has refused to clarify her position, but is widely expected to support it. Meanwhile, Postinor 2 costs US$25, and unwanted pregnancies continue to increase among Chile's poor women.

From Green Left Weekly, April 6, 2005.

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From GLW issue 621