At dawn, the National Congress proved its nature as enemy of the poor and the workers once again. They had already voted to steal from the retired and a fiscal reform in December, and yesterday, they voted against women, mainly working and poor women, which are the ones who die from clandestine abortions.
By PSTU-Argentina
Once again, they ignored the will of millions in the streets. Once again, 38 decided over the life of millions of women. Macri, who wanted to appear democratic by opening the debate, set his block in service of this result.
During these months, we have worked hard for the legalization of abortion, but more is needed. This is not due to the lack of will of the thousands in the streets. Once again, it is due to the union leaderships of the CGT, CTA and the unions they organize, which left us alone. They did not call a strike, they did not even push debates or activities in the workplaces. Would it have been the same if besides the millions in the streets we carried out a General Strike, or at least strike and mobilization in some of the most important unions? Surely not, but once again the agreements with the leaderships (Church, pro-employer political parties) prevailed over our rights.
In a similar way, the leadership of the movement for legal abortion wanted this fight to remain outside the workers’ battles and bet all possibilities in the Congress, instead of focusing on specific fight actions and joining it with all the fights taking place against Macri’s adjustment and repression. Now they say that “we have already won” and we have to wait for the 2019 election, as if the poor women forced to unsafe abortions could wait.
The light blue handkerchiefs celebrated triumphantly the continuation of deaths due to clandestine abortions. However, they cannot hide their discomfort at the fact that the true defenders of life surpass them, and there is nothing that can take away the consciousness acquired by thousands of young women on their rights.
The fight continues. We must continue the fight in the streets, in the workplaces and the study places for legal, safe and free abortion, and for all our demands. We must impose on the union federations and unions to take on these demands because they are rights of the working women. They must be included in a unique demand plea along with all the needs of the workers and people.
We must demand to stop financing the Catholic Church, just as all churches, because our money financed the pro-clandestine abortion campaign.
We also need to draw conclusions: the Parliament and in this specific case, the Senate, is a den of thieves who charge hundreds of thousands to rule against us. We need to demand their dissolution. Out with Macri and all of them! And we need to begin to build workers’ bodies, truly democratic ones, on the way to a workers and people’s government.
Let us continue in the streets for legal abortion, the fight is not over, nor must we wait for it to be discussed in Congress or for elections! The fight is now and we may overcome!
