In El Salvador, President Bekele says 'yes' to bitcoin but rejects abortion and gay marriage
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele at a ceremony celebrating the bicentenary of independence on September 15, 2021. REUTERS - SECRETARIA DE PRENSA DE LA PRESI
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
President Nayib Bukele has refused to include abortion and gay marriage in the new constitution.
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“
The coolest president in the world
” as he describes himself, is more modern economically than societally. If in El Salvador,
we can now pay in bitcoin
, a woman still does not have the right to have an abortion even if her life depends on it.
Nayib Bukele on Friday refused any constitutional reform that would allow therapeutic abortion or same-sex marriage. "
I have decided, so that there is no doubt, not to propose any reform of any kind to any article (of the Constitution) that has to do with the right to life (from the moment of conception) , with (homosexual) marriage or with euthanasia,
”said the 40-year-old president on his Facebook page, who only communicates
via
social networks.
However, it is at his request that the reform project received Thursday had been drawn up by its vice-president Félix Ulloa.
The Head of State decided to remove from the text the reference to marriage between “
spouses
” which replaced marriage between “
a man and a woman
”, as mentioned in the Constitution in force.
Likewise, he rejected the passage which recognizes "
the right to life, both of the unborn child and of the pregnant mother
", which opened the way for therapeutic abortion when the mother's life is in danger. danger.
On Sunday, the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (Cedes) had stigmatized the envisaged reforms relating to abortion, euthanasia or marriage between persons of the same sex.
Extension of the presidential term
Salvadoran penal code prohibits abortion in all cases and provides for sentences of up to eight years in prison.
However, prosecutors and judges classify cases of abortion, including involuntary, as “aggravated homicide”, punishable by up to 50 years in prison.
On the other hand, the president did not show any opposition to the extension of the presidential mandate from five to six years, from the next election in 2027. Nayib Bukele could stand in this ballot thanks to
a recent judgment of the constitutional judges
which upsets the rule so far in force which prohibited a president from running for a second consecutive term.
"
Purge
" towards independent magistrates
Nayib Bukele also promulgated two decrees on Friday that force judges and prosecutors to retire at 60 or after 30 years of service. "
The exercise of the function of magistrate and judge ceases when the persons occupying these positions reach the age of 60
", indicates the first decree, approved on August 31 by the Parliament where the head of state holds an overwhelming majority. "
The career of a prosecutor will end in a compulsory way when the persons concerned reach 60 years
", according to the second decree. The new rule does not "
apply to the magistrates of the Supreme Court
", it is specified.
Judge Juan Antonio Duran, who leads an opposition movement to this measure, denounced Friday at a press conference a "
purge
" targeting independent magistrates.
On Wednesday,
thousands of Salvadorans demonstrated
to demand that the president, often criticized for his authoritarianism, respect the separation of powers.
(
with AFP
)
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