Guatemala increases abortion penalty, bans same-sex marriage

By SONIA PÉREZ D.
Associated Press

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalan lawmakers have greatly increased prison sentences for women who have abortions, bucking a recent trend in Latin America toward expanding access to the procedures. As the country marked International Women’s Day on Tuesday, Guatemala’s Congress passed a “Protection of Life and Family” law that also targeted the LGBTQ community. The legislature declared Wednesday to be “Life and Family Day” and President Alejandro Giammattei said in a speech at the National Palace that it’s “an invitation to unite as Guatemalans to protect life from conception until natural death.”