Zona Militar: "The future of the US military’s dismounted troops" / "El futuro de las tropas desmontadas de las Fuerzas Armadas de Estados Unidos"

 

 

"The future of the US military’s dismounted troops"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

10 March, 2026

Published: https://www.zona-militar.com/en/2026/03/10/the-future-of-the-us-militarys-dismounted-troops/

 

 

 "El futuro de las tropas desmontadas de las Fuerzas Armadas de Estados Unidos"

 Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

10 de Marzo, 2026

Publicado: https://www.zona-militar.com/2026/03/10/el-futuro-de-las-tropas-desmontadas-de-las-fuerzas-armadas-de-estados-unidos/ 

Geopolitical Monitor: Colombia’s Nickel Reserves: A Blessing and Curse

 

"Colombia’s Nickel Reserves: A Blessing and Curse"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Situation Report

Geopolitical Monitor

19 July, 2023

Originally published: https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/colombias-nickel-reserves-a-blessing-and-curse/

The Colombian government is eager to expand and diversify the country’s mining industry by exploiting critical minerals, including nickel, which is currently solely mined in Cerro Matoso. As global demand for this critical mineral reminds high, nickel can be very profitable for Colombia’s mining industry and economy; however, we cannot overlook issues related to nickel mining, including environmental destruction and health problems for workers and local inhabitants. Even violence has become commonplace around Cerro Matoso.

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Cannabis Culture: Brazilian Health Agency Certifies First Cannabis Pharmaceutical Company

 

"Brazilian Health Agency Certifies First Cannabis Pharmaceutical Compan"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Cannabis Culture

27 April, 2021

Originally published: https://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2021/04/27/brazilian-health-agency-certifies-first-cannabis-pharmaceutical-company/

CANNABIS CULTURE – The cannabis industry in Brazil took a giant leap forward on April 7th when the country’s health regulatory agency (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária: ANVISA) gave a Good Manufacturing Practices – Pharma Grade (GMP) to the Brazilian branch of the multinational Ease Labs pharmaceutical group. 

Ease Labs becomes the first cannabis company allowed to locally produce CBD products in the major South American market, as the certificate allows Ease Labs to develop, manufacture, store,  import and export cannabis-based products in Brazil, making it a pioneer in this sector.

 

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IPD: Brazil’s Other Green Revolution: Cannabis for Medicinal Use

"Brazil’s Other Green Revolution: Cannabis for Medicinal Use"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
International Policy Digest
December 14, 2019
Originally published: https://intpolicydigest.org/2019/12/14/brazil-s-other-green-revolution-cannabis-for-medicinal-use/

There are big developments taking place in Brazil, as the country’s National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria: ANVISA) approved in early December a product registration fast-track that will allow the importation, and sale of medical cannabis in pharmacies while, at the same time prohibiting domestic cultivation.

Cannabis for medicinal purposes is a growing global industry. In fact, governments that have strong no-drugs policies make exceptions for medical cannabis. After all, cannabinoids, the substance derived from the plant, have been proven to be very helpful to assist patients who suffer from chronic pains, in addition to neurological and psychiatric diseases. The recent changes in legislation in Brazil will significantly change the CBD market and health system in the South American nation.

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IPD: The Future of the Medicinal Cannabis Industry: A View from the Western Hemisphere

"The Future of the Medicinal Cannabis Industry: A View from the Western Hemisphere"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
International Policy Digest
September 6, 2019
Originally published: https://intpolicydigest.org/2019/09/06/the-future-of-the-medicinal-cannabis-industry-a-view-from-the-western-hemisphere/



Former NFL player Rob Gronkowski announced on August 27 that he will focus on his campaign to allow professional sports leagues, like the National Football League (NFL), to relax their restrictions on the use of cannabidiol (CBD) for pain relief. This continues the momentum started in 2018 when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from its list of prohibited substances.

The legalization of marijuana and its derivatives, like CBD, is a complex issue as several countries around the world have, to differing degrees, legalized it, including Brazil, The Netherlands, Uruguay, in addition to various states throughout the United States. Medicinal CBD is a particularly interesting and growing industry.


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CIMSEC: The Significance of U.S. and Chinese Hospital Ship Deployments to Latin America

"The Significance of U.S. and Chinese Hospital Ship Deployments to Latin America"
W. Alejandro Sanchez
The Southern Tide
Center for International Maritime Security
16 January 2018
Originally published: http://cimsec.org/significance-u-s-chinese-hospital-ship-deployments-latin-america/35232 


Written by W. Alejandro Sanchez, The Southern Tide addresses maritime security issues throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It discusses the challenges regional navies face including limited defense budgets, inter-state tensions, and transnational crimes. It also examines how these challenges influence current and future defense strategies, platform acquisitions, and relations with global powers.

“The security environment in Latin America and the Caribbean is characterized by complex, diverse, and non-traditional challenges to U.S. interests.” Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, Commander, U.S. Southern Command, before the 114^th Congress Senate Armed Services Committee, 10 March 2016.
By W. Alejandro Sanchez

USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) has become a regular visitor of Latin American and Caribbean waters as it often carries out humanitarian operations in those regions. Mostly recently, it was deployed to Puerto Rico to assist those affected by Hurricane Maria. Furthermore, there is now an extra-regional hospital ship which is also traveling to these areas, namely China’s Peace Ark (866 Daishan Dao), a Type 920 hospital ship that is operated by the People’s Liberation Army Navy. Given that the governments these two platforms belong to are experiencing growing national security tensions it is necessary to discuss their activities and put this medical diplomacy in its proper geopolitical context.

This commentary is a continuation of an essay that the author drafted for CIMSEC titled “The uses of the U.S. Navy’s Fourth Fleet;” and draws from an analysis by CAPT John C. Devlin (ret.) and CDR John J. Devlin titled “Aligning HA/DR Mission Parameters with U.S. Navy Maritime Strategy.”

USNS Comfort
We will not supply an exhaustive list of Comfort’s operations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, but will rather provide some highlights. Most recently, as previously mentioned, Comfort was deployed to Puerto Rico to assist those in need after Hurricane Maria hit the island. The vessel also traveled to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake to assist with the relief and support efforts as part of Operation Unified Response.
Additionally, Comfort has been deployed to the region as part of initiatives like the Partnership for the Americas and Operation Continuing Promise. Countries that were visited during these voyages include Colombia, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Peru, among others.

It is worth noting that Comfort is a large vessel, with a length of 894 feet and a beam of 105 feet, the same as its sister ship, USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) – the two are converted San Clemente-class super tankers. According to the U.S. Navy,  each platform “contain[s] 12 fully-equipped operating rooms, a 1,000 bed hospital facility, digital radiological services, a medical laboratory, a pharmacy, an optometry lab, a CAT-scan and two oxygen producing plants,” along with helicopter decks. Hence, the vessel is able to provide for vast numbers of patients simultaneously with different services. For example, according to the magazine Dialogo, some 19,000 patients were treated by Comfort personnel when the vessel docked in Belize and Guatemala as part of Continuing Promise 2015.

Peace Ark
As for Peace Ark, the Chinese vessel is newer than Comfort, as the former was commissioned in 2008 while the latter was commissioned in 1987 – a two decade difference. The newer vessel reportedly measures 583 feet in length and displaces 10,000 tons fully loaded, and fields a Z-9 helicopter. It also has 300 beds for patients, eight operating rooms and 20 intensive care units. When deployed, its crew is made up of up to 328 plus 100 medical personnel.

In a 2014 article by USNI News, Peace Ark’s Senior Captain Sun Tao declared, “other than internal organ transplant …or any kind of heart disease treatment, [Peace Ark] can pretty much do any kind of treatment.” The article goes on to note that “This includes, perhaps not surprisingly, traditional Chinese medicine. A room onboard Peace Ark is specifically reserved for the ancient therapies of cupping, massage, and acupuncture.” 

Because the Chinese vessel has also been deployed throughout Asia and Africa in the last decade, Peace Ark has traveled significantly fewer times than Comfort to Latin America and the Caribbean. Its first tour was “Harmonious Mission 2011,” a 105 day trip in which the platform visited Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. The platform returned to the region in 2015, visiting countries like Barbados, Mexico, and Peru.

Significance
At a local level, the arrivals of these vessels are a welcomed development as they provide medical services that local populations may not be able to obtain otherwise from their local governments. Thus, it probably matters very little to the inhabitants of these areas whether a hospital ship flies either a U.S. or Chinese flag, as long as they provide health services that are needed. Indeed, articles published by Latin American and Caribbean media outlets that reported visits by either Comfort or Peace Ark included generally positive statements by local authorities and patients.

At a geopolitical level, these hospital ships carry out humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations (HA/DR) that are in line with their respective navy’s overall strategies of aiding populations in need. Moreover, and unsurprisingly, these visits help to boost up the image of the nation deploying the platform in the eyes of the hosting government and population. For example, a 2011 article by Mercopress that discussed Peace Ark’s arrival to Jamaica had the following statement “the mission is part of a global campaign by Beijing to portray its rapidly growing military as a responsible power.” Similarly, the aforementioned CIMSEC article states that HA/DR operations “are a vital part of U.S. Navy maritime strategy by ensuring regional stability through building partner nation capacity and expanding our sphere of influence.”

While an exhaustive analysis of each nation that Comfort visits is beyond the objectives of this commentary, it is worth noting that the countries it regularly visits are those that the U.S. has good relations with, though there has been one notable exception. In 2011 Comfort docked in Manta, Ecuador: this is was a significant visit as then-President Rafael Correa was known for his anti-Washington rhetoric and for having ordered the shutdown of the U.S. military facilities in Ecuador in 2009. Thus, it is somewhat bizarre that President Correa would authorize a (unarmed) U.S. ship to enter his country’s territorial waters. It would be interesting if the government of Venezuela would similarly allow Comfort to dock in Venezuela’s coast, given the problematic situation of the country’s health system. Nevertheless, the tense bilateral relations make it highly unlikely that Caracas would authorize such a visit, or that Washington would offer it in the first place.

Moreover, as far as the author can determine, Peace Ark has only visited countries whose governments recognize the People’s Republic of China and not the Republic of China (ROC/Taiwan). It will important to monitor if future Peace Ark deployments include countries that still maintain relations with Taipei, as Beijing may be looking to obtain the recognition of Taiwan’s last remaining allies in the region – the latest nation to switch sides was Panama in mid-2017.

Ultimately, setting aside the geopolitical motivations for the deployment of these vessels, the humanitarian activities that they carry out ensures that both Comfort and Peace Ark will continue to be welcomed across the Latin America and the Caribbean as future harsh climate events will require greater humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

In 2017 alone, regional navies had to carry out major relief operations. Case in point, the Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru) deployed several platforms to the country’s northern regions to provide assistance after torrential rains hit many areas. Similarly, the Colombian Navy (Armada de Colombia) has deployed offshore patrol vessels to transport humanitarian aid to areas hit by floods. Even more, the Honduran Navy (Fuerza Naval) has acquired a multipurpose vessel, Gracias a Dios, to combat maritime drug trafficking and to provide assistance to coastal communities. In other words, humanitarian assistance has been a key component of naval strategies, and its importance will only increase in the near future, meaning that support from allies will remain a necessity for many Latin American and Caribbean states.

Final Thoughts
USNS Comfort and China’s Peace Ark have carried out commendable humanitarian work throughout many coastal communities in Latin America and the Caribbean as their tours in these regions have helped individuals who would otherwise have trouble accessing medical services. These humanitarian assistance deployments will continue to be necessary in both the short- and long-term. As for the geopolitical value of such deployments, they are a non-dangerous and effective example of “soft power” via which both Beijing and Washington utilize to maintain and improve their image in these regions.

Alejandro Sanchez is a researcher who focuses on geopolitical, military, and cyber security issues in the Western Hemisphere. Follow him on Twitter: @W_Alex_Sanchez

The views presented in this essay are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of any institutions with which the author is associated.

Blouin Beat: ‘Jessica Jones’ and the devil in the pill

'Jessica Jones' and the devil in the pill
W. Alejandro Sanchez
Blouin Beat: Science & Health
December 30, 2015
Originally published: http://blogs.blouinnews.com/blouinbeatsciencehealth/2015/12/30/jessica-jones-and-the-devil-in-the-pill/

This commentary contains spoilers for ‘Jessica Jones,’ Season 1. It is based on Netflix’s ‘Jessica Jones’ series and not on the comics published by Marvel.

‘Jessica Jones‘, the second show in the Marvel universe produced by Netflix, has been widely successful among fans and critics. Apart from strong acting and a compelling story, the series has been praised for having a female superheroas the main character. Moreover the show has had no qualms with how it portrays alcoholism as well as physical (e.g. rape) and psychological abuse. Because the main premise of the show focuses on the clash between Jessica Jones and Kilgrave (the villain) in New York City, it is difficult to analyze this series from an international relations perspective. That said, one of the show’s characters provides a jumping-off point for discussing substance abuse among members of the armed forces.

As the show moves forward, one storyline to follow is that of Will Simpson, an NYPD sergeant who is temporarily controlled by Kilgrave and then helps Jessica track him down. Over the course of the series, we learn that Simpson has military training – at one point he introduces Jessica’s stepsister Trish to his “special forces friends.”  Moreover, when Simpson is injured, Trish takes him to a hospital where he is treated by a Dr. Kozlov; Simpson and Kozlov know each other from his military past and the doctor gives Simpson some mysterious red pills that rapidly cure him from severe injuries.

One of the pills’ effects is that Simpson becomes stronger, hence the NYPD officer takes them prior to fighting, even though Kozlov warns him to not overdose. The pills also make Simpson more aggressive: he pushes Trish against a wall (he apologizes for it afterwards), summarily executes a police detective and gets in a fight with Jessica. In the final episode, Kozlov finds an unconscious Simpson and takes him away – it is never clarified which agency they belong to (though fan theories abound).

Security analysts and members of any military that watch ‘Jessica Jones’ will likely relate to the Simpson storyline. There are a plethora of reports and commentaries that discuss how soldiers (and members of any other military branch) utilize some type of performance enhancing drug. One prominent example is how U.S. Air Force pilots take amphetamines in order to fly their aircraft for long missions. The downside of using Speed (or “Go Pills”) is that it has side-effects such as “confusion, delusions, auditory hallucinations, aggression and, in extreme cases, psychotic behavior.” Meanwhile, in order to improve the performance of its troops, the U.S. Army “has tested modafinil and caffeine (to promote wakefulness) for use in military operations.” (According to Le Monde, the French armed forces also tested modafinil on its troops during the First Gulf War).

The obvious concern is that servicemen and servicewomen may become addicted to drugs (legal or illegal) in order to carry out their duties. For example, there is a problem in the U.S. military regarding steroid use, particularly during the simultaneous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. “To prepare for — and perform — on combat tours of duty, some soldiers … turned to steroids to boost their brawn,” said a 2010 McClatchy DC report. To be fair, the U.S. military is hardly the only country that has problems with drug abuse, legal or otherwise, within its ranks. In 2013, some 17 British soldiers were expelled from the 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery for taking a sports supplement which contained the restricted substance ephedrine.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has not shied away from displaying substance abuse, most prominently the alcohol problems of Iron Man and Jessica Jones. When it comes to performance enhancing drugs, the MCU has only briefly touched on them (e.g. the experiments that created Captain America and the Winter Soldier).

Marvel movies tend to be more family-friendly, while Netflix has had no reservations so far in addressing controversial topics head on. Hence, it would be an interesting development if the officer Simpson character goes farther “down the rabbit hole” and becomes more dependent on performance enhancing drugs. The writers of ‘Jessica Jones’ have plenty of real-world material about experiments regarding these drugs and their side effects from which to draw inspiration.

VOXXI: Cuba’s brain drain takes hold in Guyana

"Cuba's Brain Drain takes hold in Guyana"
W. Alejandro Sanchez
VOXXI
September 15, 2014
Originally published: http://voxxi.com/2014/09/15/cuba-brain-drain-guyana/

Three Cuban doctors have disappeared from Guyana: They had been deployed to the small, South American state to help improve the country’s health services, but it is now thought that they are attempting to reach the U.S.

One of the pillars of Cuban foreign policy, aside from being a thorn in Washington’s side, is exporting its healthcare workers to nations in need of medical personnel. If the aforementioned doctors did indeed flee to the U.S., they can be added to the ever-increasing list of Cuban professionals that have defected from the Castro regime.

The facts on Cuban doctors

One of the three missing doctors is a pathologist hired by the Guyanese Ministry of Health to work in a hospital in Georgetown, the country’s capital. The two others are a physiotherapist, who was also working in a Georgetown hospital, and general practitioner who worked in the Mahaicony Hospital. Currently 166 Cuban health professionals work in Guyana, including 74 doctors and 35 nurses, with the rest being an assortment of health technicians.

The online news agency Kaieteurnewsonline.com reports, “the absence of the pathologist, had in fact severely affected the completion of Post Mortem examinations at the hospital. […] the hospital’s administration was forced to put measures in place to ensure that post mortems were conducted in a timely manner.”

In other words, Guyanese health professionals must now fill the void left by the three missing doctors.

It’s important to note that the Georgetown-Havana medical exchange is a two-way street. Not only does Cuba send health professionals to Guyana, but the Guyanese government also sends its own healthcare workers to the Caribbean island for additional medical training. Guyana’s Health Minister, Bheri Ramsaran, has declared that the long-term goal is to rid the country of the need for foreign healthcare workers who take care of the country’s population–estimated at over 700 thousand.

This long-term plan may already be coming to fruition.

In April, Minister Ramsaran reported that the government will reduce from 500 to 250 the number of scholarships for Guyanese health professionals to study in Cuba. This program was started in 2001 via an agreement between Fidel Castro and then-President Bharrat Jagdeo, of Guyana. Minister Ramsaran has declared that “now we have ample amount of specialized doctors in the health sector so there is not a need for so many scholarships this year.”

If we are to believe Minister Ramsaran’s remarks about the state of his country’s rising crop of new professionals, the “ample amount” of Guyanese doctors, trained in Cuba, will (hopefully) be able to make up for the loss of the three Cuban doctors.

Cuban Defections

As for Cuba, if the three aforementioned doctors did in fact leave their posts in Guyana to flee to the U.S., they join an ever-growing list of Cuban defectors.

Naming every Cuban defector is beyond the scope of this article, but suffice it to say there have been some noteworthy incidents recently. For example, earlier this year, seven dancers of the National Ballet of Cubadefected while visiting Puerto Rico for a performance. Another recent defection was that of Yasmani Tomas, a baseball player who played for the Cuban team Industriales.

Defections have been a staple of the Castro regime. With that said, Raúl Castro, has introduced important initiatives to (very) slowly liberalize the country’s economy, thus attracting increased international investment and fostering the growth of a Cuban middle class with an improved standard of living. Case in point: the government is promoting the development of an industrial sector, called the Mariel economic development zone, which has already attracted Brazilian investment (namely the expansion of a port).

However it seems that even economic progress and the relaxation of certain strict policies (such as travel restrictions) are not stopping Cuban professionals of various fields from defecting in search of an improved quality of life, higher wages, and more career opportunities. In June, the aforementioned ballet dancers talked to the U.S. media in Miami, explaining that they are in search of professional opportunities in the U.S. As for Yasmani Tomas, recent speculations suggest that when he does sign for a MLB team, he could get as much as $100 million USD. Certainly more than what he would earn playing for a Cuban team.

As for the three Cuban doctors that have disappeared from Guyana, it remains to be seen where they end up. One possibility is that they seek asylum in neighboring Brazil, given that there is a precedent of Cuban doctors who defected while working in the Portuguese-speaking giant.

Thanks to Cuban help, Guyana may now have the medical staff to make up for the loss of three foreign doctors, but Havana cannot endure its brain drain.

VOXXI: Chikungunya virus in Venezuela tests post-Chavez health sector

"Chikungunya virus in Venezuela tests post-Chavez health sector"
W. Alejandro Sanchez
VOXXI
July 18, 2014
Originally published: http://voxxi.com/2014/07/18/chikungunya-venezuela-health-care/

As of mid-July, there more than 40 cases of Chikungunya have been reported in Venezuela.

Since the virus appeared in the Caribbean in late 2013, cases are now being reported throughout the region, including Central and South American nations. Although the infection is not lethal, its arrival to the mainland is problematic. At a time when Venezuela’s health sector is suffering from the country’s economic crisis and the long-term effects of Hugo Chavez’s presidency, chikungunya will sternly test the country’s health agencies.

Chikungunya expands in Venezuela

On June 26, the Venezuelan Ministry of Health confirmed the first two cases of chikungunya in the country. Two patients, a 55-year-old woman and her 25-year-old son, residents of Maracay (north-central Venezuela) were originally treated for dengue. However, further tests confirmed that they were suffering from chikungunya.

The virus has continued to spread and, by July 15, there were 45 confirmed cases. The ages of the infected vary, from 4-year-old toddlers to 55-year-old adults. It seems that chikungunya is now present in Caracas, the capital, as well as states such as Bolivar, Amazonas, Zulia, and Portuguesa.

Estimations of the number of people infected by chikungunya vary, as new cases are constantly being reported. With the chance that the virus is mistaken as dengue, these figures are likely underestimated.

According to an April PAHO press release, there were more than 15,000 suspected cases in the Caribbean by the end of March. On the other hand, a June 19 article by the Spanish news agency EFE explains that, there were 4,800 confirmed cases and 165 thousand suspected cases of chikungunya in more than 20 countries at the time of reporting.

Basic facts on Chikungunya

According to Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Aedes Aegypti or the Aedes Albopictus, two types of mosquitoes, transmit chikungunya. These insects live and breed along the Atlantic coasts of the Western Hemisphere, from the U.S. down to Argentina.

Chikungunya possesses remarkable similarities to dengue, and therefore patients are often mistaken as suffering from one instead of the other. PAHO explains that about three to seven days after a person is bitten by an infected mosquito, high fever, headache, and joint and muscle pain strikes the individual.

As it stands, there is a no specific treatment or vaccine to cure chikungunya.

Tests for Venezuela’s health sector

The extent of the virus’s reach in Venezuela remains to be seen, although Peru and the United States have already reported cases.

Fast methods of transportation dramatically increase chikungunya’s spread since individuals may contract the virus in one country, with symptoms only displaying in another (as it takes days for the disease to manifest itself). Case in point, Venezuela’s first cases of chikungunya originated in the Dominican Republic (DR). Likewise, the Peruvian media reports that chikungunya arrived in the Andean nation via travelers that came from the DR.

As for Venezuela, chikungunya will pose a major challenge to its health sector. Venezuelan Minister of Health Francisco Armadaand other senior officials regularly provide updates on the situation, praising the country’s health agencies. For example, when six new cases of chikungunya were reported in late June, Jesus Toro, director of Environmental Health in the Ministry of Health, praised the work of public and private health agencies. These institutions have been reporting new cases as they arise throughout the country.

Nevertheless, Venezuela’s economic struggles have had a deleterious effect on its health sector. A March 20 article in the Venezuelan daily “El Universal” explains that medicine for patients who suffer from hemophilia, a blood disorder, is now scarce. The daily also states that Venezuela imports up to 60% of the medicine it utilizes.

Understaffed and under-equipped hospitals means that sick Venezuelans will have to wait more time to know whether they have chikungunya (and not dengue).

Venezuela’s health sector was dramatically affected by the lengthy rule of the late president, Hugo Chavez. In a controversial decision, President Chavez allowed Cuban doctors to operate in the South American country in order to provide aid to impoverished communities. The virus will now test how well Venezuela’s health sector, can perform to stop the disease from spreading further.

At the time of writing, Venezuela’s situation is not dire, medically speaking. Chikungunya has spread in recent weeks, but it has yet to reach alarming levels, as it is in some Caribbean islands. On Caracas’ side, the virus is not lethal, but Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro must avoid mass hysteria among an already tense population and prevent chikungunya from becoming an epidemic.

How Chavez’s health sector reforms and the recent economic troubles will affect Venezuela’s ability to deal with a tricky disease will be determined in the coming week.

VOXXI: Bolivia and Uruguay: Two differing stances on abortion

Bolivia and Uruguay: Two Differing Stances on Abortion
W. Alejandro Sanchez
VOXXI
February 28, 2014
Originally published: http://voxxi.com/2014/02/28/bolivia-uruguay-stances-abortion/

A discussion on abortion touches on a person’s moral, religious and cultural beliefs, their freedom of choice as well as the role of the government in a woman’s decisions regarding her own body.

Unsurprisingly, the governments across Latin American, a generally culturally and religiously conservative region, have differing positions regarding the legality of abortion.

We will briefly discuss recent developments by the governments of Uruguay and Bolivia, which have approached abortion from two different perspectives.

Uruguay: Legal for a year

Abortion was approved by the Uruguayan Congress in October 2012, after lengthy debates and close votes. The Senate approved the law with 17 votes in favor (the senate has 30 seats plus the country’s vice-president, who also votes).  Before going to the Senate, the chamber of deputies approved the bill with a close 50 in favor and 49 against (the chamber has 99 seats).

Uruguay’s abortion law entered into effect in December of 2012.  It allows for an abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, though exceptions can be made if the pregnancy is further along.

According to a recent report by Agence France Presse, between December 2012 and November 2013, there were 6,676 legal abortions in Uruguay. That comes up to 556 women carrying out this procedure per month in the tiny South American nation.

The demographics of legal abortion in Uruguay are interesting: According to the Vice Ministry of Public Health, 19 % of women that made this decision in the aforementioned period are younger than 19 years old.

Uruguayan women who undergo an abortion must meet with a team of doctors who will explain the potential risks, alternatives and support programs. The person then has five days to decide whether or not to continue with this procedure, which is free of charge.

According to reports, 60% of Uruguayan women choose this option to protect their jobs or careers, while 30% said it was due to economic reasons and 13% explained that they did not have a partner.

It should be noted that a number of Uruguayan doctors declared themselves against the abortion law, arguing that it goes against their ethical and professional beliefs.

On June 2013, anti-abortion groups, including members of the political party Partido Nacional, organized a consulta popular (loosely translated as a “popular poll”). If the consulta had received a backing of 25% of Uruguayan voters (655 thousand people), a referendum could have been called to reconsider the law. Nevertheless, only 8.65% (226 thousand people) voted in favor.

The Uruguayan feminist NGO Mysu declared that this failed attempt at a referendum “clearly indicates that Uruguayan society is willing to continue going forward.”

Bolivia: The ruling of the constitutional court

In contrast to Uruguay, the judiciary system in Bolivia has taken a more conservative stance. On February 13 and after over two years of debate Bolivia’s Constitutional Tribunal ruled that abortion will continue to be illegal in the landlocked Andean country.

A commentary in the Spanish daily El País explains the Court’s decision “echoes the principles of indigenous groups” which are incorporated into the country’s 2009 Constitution, which highlight “the close relationship between humans and Mother Earth.”

Bolivia has harsh laws that penalize abortion: up to six years in prison for terminating a human embryo.

Nevertheless, the Bolivian Court also ruled that abortion is permitted in certain scenarios, such as when the pregnancy was due to rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is in danger.

Moreover the Court’s ruling left open the possibility for new legislation on the subject, as it called for the country’s National Assembly to continue working to “protect the Constitutional rights” of Bolivians. (Click here for how Bolivia’s new Constitution affects Bolivian women).

Whether this means that the Bolivian legislature will revisit the subject in the near future remains to be seen. President Evo Morales himself declared that abortion is a crime, and since his political party (MAS) controls the National Assembly, it is unlikely that the government will change these laws anytime soon.

Due to the harsh prison sentences, Bolivian women who are unable to afford transit to a country with legal abortions, are often forced to turn to clandestine abortion operations.

Unsurprisingly, clandestine abortions take place in highly unhygienic conditions with life threatening procedures (visit the World Health Organization for more info), which can end in the death of the woman receiving the operation.

(It should be noted that organizations like WomenonWeb.org have helped some Bolivian women gain access to commonly prescribed abortion pills by mail in order to mitigate deaths due to unsafe abortions).

A September 2013 article in the Bolivian daily La Razón explains that, according to Bolivian NGOs, it is estimated that around 80,000 Bolivian women have abortions a year. Of those, 480 women die during the procedure. Other organizations argue that clandestine abortion is the third cause for mortality among women in the country.

Nevertheless, because these operations are clandestine, these estimates do vary.

Bolivia and Uruguay demonstrate two different positions taken by Latin American governments on abortion.  While the Uruguayan government has taken a progressive stance as abortion has been legal for over a year, the Bolivian judiciary has maintained a conservative stance.

At the very least, it is a positive step that the Bolivian government is openly discussing this sensitive theme.

With that said, it is tragic that many Bolivian women lose their lives resorting to clandestine operations.  Meanwhile, the Uruguayan government has reported that so far there have not been any reported deaths of women who have undergone a legal abortion in properly equipped medical centers.