A historic decision was made on Monday, September 6, 2021 when Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled it “unconstitutional” to label and punish abortion as a crime. “Today is a historic day for the rights of all Mexican women,” said Supreme Court Chief Justice Arturo Zaldivar. On Monday, eight of the eleven justices voted on revoking a law in Coahuila that punished women with a fine and up to three years incarceration for having an abortion, even in cases of rape. On Tuesday, September 7, 2021 the remaining three justices changed their decision making the vote unanimous! This debate over abortion came into play with the recent Texas abortion ban after 6 weeks, Coahuila being a bordering state to Texas.

The Mexican Supreme Courts’ decision applies to the entire state of Mexico. “As of this moment, any Mexican state that criminalizes abortion is in direct defiance of the Federal Constitution. As of this decision, all Mexican states where abortion is still criminalized are obligated to modify their legal frameworks to comply with the standard set by the Court,” said Avila-Guillen, a member of the court. With abortions being accessible, “Never again will a woman or a person with the capacity to carry a child be criminally prosecuted… Today the threat of imprisonment and stigma that weigh on people who freely decide to terminate their pregnancy are banished,” said Justice Luis Maria Aguilar.