Guatemala president threatens veto of abortion legislation

By SONIA PÉREZ D.
Associated Press

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Two days after Guatemala’s congress passed a bill increasing sentences for women who terminate their pregnancies, prohibiting same-sex marriage and banning discussion of sexual diversity in schools, President Alejandro Giammattei asked the congress to pull it back or face his veto. It was a surprising reversal for the president. In a speech Thursday, the president said the legislation violated two international conventions to which Guatemala was a signatory, as well as Guatemala’s constitution. He did not specify which provisions were in violation, but emphasized that the legislation had not originated in his office