Argentina Abortion Rights: Amnesty Warns of Erosion
Amnesty International is sounding the alarm: Argentina is becoming a testing ground for abortion rights rollback under President Milei’s administration. The organization warns that cuts to contraceptive funding and the cessation of free abortion pill distribution are severely impacting access to abortion services. This shift is affecting provinces, leading to medication shortages and reportedly increasing the number of unsafe abortions. The situation in Argentina, where the government is actively limiting reproductive rights, is directly linked to the Heritage Foundation’s 2025 plan, signaling a broader global trend. News Directory 3 highlights the critical details. Discover what’s next …
Argentina Abortion Access Restricted under Milei, Amnesty Warns
Updated May 28, 2025
Amnesty International issued a warning Wednesday, stating that Argentina is being used as a “testing ground” for rolling back abortion rights internationally. This comes as the government cuts funding for contraceptives and halts the distribution of abortion pills.
Before President Javier Milei took office in December 2023,the Argentine government provided free abortion pills through the public health system. In 2023,over 166,000 doses of misoprostol and mifepristone-misoprostol combipacks were distributed,according to Amnesty International. However, no doses were supplied last year, with the duty transferred to the country’s 23 provinces.
Amnesty International reports that this shift is “hindering access to abortion services for women.” More than half of the provinces are experiencing misoprostol shortages,and almost all lack mifepristone and combipacks. The Argentine network for Access to Safe Abortion notes that provinces with anti-abortion politicians or fewer economic resources are most affected.
Project Mirar,which monitors abortion law implementation,found that provinces struggle to negotiate prices as effectively as the state. Some provinces lack the budget to purchase the necessary drugs. In some instances, women have been forced to buy the medication themselves, costing around $160, according to reports.
Amnesty International warns that the reproductive health policies promoted by Argentina’s government are linked to Project 2025, an ultra-conservative policy plan supported by the Trump administration in the U.S.
Mariela Belski, director of Amnesty International Argentina, believes that “Argentina has been used as a testing ground for several of the policies featured in the Heritage Foundation’s 2025 plan,” including restricting abortion access and limiting sexual and reproductive rights.
“It is part of a global backlash that seeks to dismantle hard-won gains secured by women. It is also happening under Donald Trump’s leadership in the United States and in countries such as Hungary,” Belski said.
Argentina legalized abortion up to 14 weeks of pregnancy in 2020, following widespread protests known as the “green wave” movement. Previously, abortion was only permitted in cases of rape or when the woman’s health was at risk. Between 2021 and 2023, Argentina’s public sector provided 283,000 legal abortions, and abortion-related deaths more than halved between 2020 and 2022.
Since taking office, Milei has dismantled numerous public policies related to women’s rights. He closed the ministry of women, genders and diversity, cut programs aimed at combating gender violence, and drastically reduced funding for contraceptives.
Milei has stated that abortion should be considered “aggravated murder” and has accused feminists of promoting a ”bloody, murderous abortion agenda.” During his campaign, he vowed to launch a referendum to overturn the abortion law.
In February 2024, legislators from Milei’s party introduced a bill to repeal the 2020 abortion law. While the bill was withdrawn, a government official indicated that a push to repeal or change the law could proceed this year.
In Tucumán, a conservative province in northwest Argentina, healthcare providers report an increase in unsafe abortions due to supply delays and misinformation.
