On December 20, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights condemned the Salvadoran state in the case of Beatriz versus El Salvador. In 2013, the Salvadoran authorities prevented Beatriz from terminating her pregnancy despite the pregnancy endangering her health and there being no possibility that her fetus could survive. Eventually, after two months, an early caesarean section was permitted to stop Beatriz from dying. Hundreds of thousands of Amnesty supporters mobilized in 2013 to support Beatriz.
Beatriz tragically died in a traffic accident in 2017, but her family and supporters continued the campaign for justice. Now, at last, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has determined that El Salvador violated Beatriz’s rights to health, judicial protection, private life, and personal
integrity. The court’s verdict provides a stronger legal foundation for reproductive health protection throughout Latin America.
