They denounce aggressions and attacks against assembly members for the abortion law due to rape

Assembly members José Agualsaca and Yhajaira Urresta from the Unión por la Esperanza (UNES) bench, received attacks of all kinds against their integrity due to their legislative position in the processing of the bill that guarantees the voluntary interruption of the pregnancy of girls, adolescents and women in case of rape.

It was revealed by the alternate legislator, Gissela Garzón (UNES), this January 12, before the Justice Commission of the National Assembly who presented her solidarity to the legislators and said that as a result of the first session on the report for second debate they have received attacks of all kinds against their integrity, questions in relation to their legislative exercise, questions in relation to their relevance to indigenous peoples and nationalities.

The Board of Justice, this week, approved with six votes the text of article 19 of the project where it was determined that the maximum term for the voluntary interruption of pregnancy due to rape will be 28 weeks (seven months of gestation), for women older than 18 years old; and no deadline for girls, adolescents under 18 years of age and women with disabilities.

Assembly members propose that up to seven months of pregnancy can be interrupted in case of rape and neither feminists nor pro-life agree

Garzón, alternate legislator for Assemblyman Fausto Jarrín (UNES), stated that it cannot be possible that due to the legislative exercise that is being carried out, the legislators of the legislative table receive threats even of their integrity, that this should be rejected.

He assured that there is misinformation of what was approved, among others distorting the issue of the temporality contemplated in article 19 of the project, and assuming it as an obligation and not as a maximum time.

He said that this type of thing has been discussed since the project became known, and that cannot mean or justify the attacks that legislators José Agualsaca and Yhajaira Urresta have received, which have even violated their disability.

It is a debate that from this legislative table will reach the plenary session, therefore, it cannot be marked with violence because the law precisely attacks violence and much less should it be justified.

Yhajaira Urresta (UNES), after thanking the solidarity of her co-leader, said that if the law under debate approves the citizen’s right to freedom, it also rejects violence of any kind, although she did not explain the type of attack and violence she received. ; but he clarified that the work of the table lasts more than six months and that it is supported in the legal and technical aspects.

In addition, he pointed out that they reject all kinds of embezzlement and even visceral comments that prevent the country from rising and growing in human rights, it has even been misinterpreted that “we are murderers and not human rights defenders, which I reject.”

Johanna Moreira (ID), regretted that these issues of violence and attacks have to be addressed that “we are receiving even from fellow assembly members; we must not enter into the game that even those attacks want to divide us and put us in confrontation against ourselves ”.

He said that the work carried out in the commission is very responsible, that the work of the commission is not distorted, since it has been said that something has been approved when the law continues to be built.

Moreira presented his solidarity with the two legislators and pointed out that especially with Yhajaira Urresta, who has received, he said, attacks personally and in the same way with all those who make up the commission.

The president of the commission, Alejandro Jaramillo, expressed solidarity not only with the assembly members, but also with the public and the different organizations of the different approaches, and also with the commission teams that have been subjected to attacks, comments and unnecessary qualifications. .

He affirmed that the commission is ratified in compliance with a Constitutional Court ruling and that they do so for girls and adolescents, and women who suffer daily from systematic violence, not only sexual, but also emotional and psychological. Perhaps because of these actions and comments, many women do not report, he noted.

On his side, legislator Ricardo Vanegas from the Pachakutik bench, said that the legislators’ interventions are observed by society and the social media. That assembly members should care what they say, and society will judge.

That it has been pointed out that some legislators have been victims of attack, and added that he is also attacked by all feminist groups, but that he is not going to complain to the Justice commission, because he assumes his responsibility as an assembly member and has his firm position .

This January 12, the Justice table resumed the debate, review and approval of the articles of the bill, which will then be reported to the plenary session. According to the planning of the presidency of the Assembly, this project would go to debate and vote in plenary session on January 25. (I)