Venezuela: The death of a young woman after a clandestine abortion revives the debate on its legalization

The Venezuela n scientific police managed to clarify the death of Rosmary Rusbely Palma Rodríguez, a 20-year-old young woman who died on January 30, after a clandestine abortion was performed in the town of Guatire, Miranda state. The case has revived the debate on the voluntary interruption of a pregnancy, which is currently penalized by imprisonment in the South American country.

Douglas Rico, director of the Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations Corps (CICPC), reported on Instagram that Rosmary’s death was caused by «medical malpractice» during a «clandestine abortion» process, which generated «a strong infection», and «heavy bleeding for several days».

Rico explained that when the young woman presented these symptoms, she was taken on January 24 —six days before her death— to the Dr. Victorino Santaella Hospital by her parents: Mariyuli Rodríguez Sánchez (44 years old), and Rubén Jesús Palma Ibarra (53), who are now detained by the authorities, reports RT.

Although the head of the detective body did not say whether Rosmary’s parents forced her to have an abortion or were accompanying her to perform it, he explained that both «would have taken her to the Las Casitas sector, Guatire parish, Zamora municipality, to perform a curettage», carried out by the doctor, physiotherapist and gynecologist Ana Yelisbeth Álvarez Aranguren, 43, who is also deprived of liberty.

The doctor – Rico explained – «performed the incomplete procedure, causing Rosmary to have intense bleeding for several days».  According to the director of the CICPC, the parents of the young woman later went to the gynecologist when they observed that her daughter was still bleeding, and this doctor asked them to transfer her to the entity’s hospital because she had an infection.

“Once in the health center, the doctors tried to control the infection; However, despite the efforts, she died as a result of it», said Rico.

Subsequent investigations made it possible to detect that an alleged «criminal network» was operating in the town of Guatire, and it is made up of Juan Carlos Martínez Betancourt (49), and his daughter, Maydelin Nayflor Martínez Rodríguez (23), who would was allegedly dedicated to «capturing young women» that were «doubtful» about continuing their pregnancies, and offered to interrupt them with the same doctor who treated Rosmary, in exchange for 120 dollars.

«They carried out these procedures without complying with sanitary measures; When inspecting the place, the investigations found as evidence, several implements used in gynecology and medicines to treat various pathologies as evidence», said Rico, who added that all those involved were left to the order of the 30th Prosecutor of the Public Ministry of the state of Miranda.

The debate in Venezuela

The circumstances that caused the death of Rosmary have revived in social networks the debate on abortion in Venezuela, which is sanctioned in articles 430, 431, 433 and 434 of the current Penal Code, and that different feminist movements and organizations in the country have requested to decriminalize

In the comments to Detective Rico’s publication on the Rosmary case, the different points of view are observed, which are mostly debated between those who advocate the right to abortion and those who resort to religious arguments to blame women for interrupting their pregnancies voluntarily.

«Safe, legal and free abortion to prevent women from continuing to die for deciding to terminate their pregnancy. And whoever does not agree, does not have to do it», said a user who joined other comments in favor of the voluntary interruption of pregnancy.

«Most countries have advanced laws that promote safe abortion with certain conditions», adds another opinion.

In the debate, another user highlights that most of the comments on the case reproduce the machismo that is ‘alive and well’ in the country and do not have the slightest empathy for the victim. “These violent responses end when faced with an unwanted or unintended pregnancy. Comprehensive sexuality education does not exist in this country», she lamented.

Among the comments. several users also pointed out that clandestine abortions in Venezuela have been a reality for many years: «This is not new, a large number of young people do it, those who have resources go to private clinics with all the appropriate equipment, those who do not have resources look for any medium (to carry out an abortion). That is what legalization seeks: to avoid deaths from infections due to inadequate procedures».