In 1973 abortion was decriminalized for three "reasons" in El Salvador, coinciding with the legalization of abortion in the U.S.: (1) to save the mother's life, (2) when it is presumed the pregnancy is the result of rape and (3) in case of serious fetal deformity. That anti-life legislation was drafted with the help of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

In 1995, a bill was introduced in the Legislative Assembly that sought to expand those three reasons as follows: (1) when the abortion is "necessary" to prevent a serious danger to the mother's life and her physical and psychological health; (2) when the pregnancy results from an act against the woman's "sexual freedom" and (3) when it is presumed that the fetus has serious physical or psychological defects, as long as the abortion is performed within 22 weeks.

On 25 April 1997, after much prayer and work, El Salvador's pro-life movement was able to eliminate these anti-life sections of the Penal Code. But that was not enough. On 30 April 1997, our group Fundación Sí a la Vida was able to obtain in the Legislative Assembly an agreement to amend the Constitution so that it would read: "Every human being is recognized as a HUMAN PERSON from the moment of conception." The amendment would have to be ratified by the next Legislative Assembly.

But, in November of 1998, two feminist members of the pro-Marxist party "Frente Farabundo Martí de Liberación Nacional" (FMLN, The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front), introduced a proposal in the Legislative Assembly to decriminalize "therapeutic" abortion again. The common lie that if "therapeutic" abortion is not decriminalized many women will die from health problems, was used to justify this anti-life move.

Thankfully, the proposal was removed from the Assembly because the country was in a period of elections and pro-abortion legislators thought they ran the risk of losing votes for their candidates. But the attempt of these anti-life politicians convinced us that we needed to ask for the pro-life amendment to the Constitution to be ratified soon.

Ratification would be difficult to obtain, because it would require 2/3 of the votes, that is, 56 out of 84. The new Assembly was made-up of many different parties, not all of which were clearly pro-life. Thus we began a campaign to collect signatures the very next month, December of 1998. In January of 1999, we did a massive media campaign: programs, interviews, debates and pro-life commercials. We visited all legislators from all parties to ask for their votes.

Then the Holy Father visited Mexico and we believe this was a turning point. He delivered a pro-life message to Latin America and made a historical summary of human right abuses around the world.

Subsequently, on 1 February 1999, we formally petitioned the Legislative Assembly to ratify the pro-life amendment to the Constitution. The following day we visited the Political Commission. On 3 February, the day the amendment was going to be discussed in the Assembly, we organized a civil gathering of thousands of people in front of the building of the Legislative Assembly and we delivered the 500,000 signatures we had collected. That very same day we were able to get a doctor to perform a live ultrasound of an 11-week-old baby, right inside the media room of the Legislative Assembly.

After a long discussion, during which we prayed and sprinkled the Legislative Assembly with holy water, the Assembly ratified the pro-life amendment by almost 90% of the votes! Of the 84 members, 72 voted in favor, 12 abstained and none voted against ratification. We believe the members of the FMLN were also touched by the message of the Holy Father.

The ratification of this amendment has shown how El Salvador has committed itself more deeply to the global fight for human rights, by recognizing explicitly the status of personhood of every human being, from the moment of conception. Our little country, which bears the name of "El Salvador" ("The Savior"), has won a great victory in this battle against the monstrous anti-life movement, just as David defeated Goliath. Praise the Lord!