Abortion Decriminalization and Reactionary Retrenchment: How Right-Wing Values Limit Social Acceptance in Latin America

Authors

Keywords:

abortion, conservatism, reactionary retenchment, reactionary retrenchment

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between the decriminalization of abortion and its social acceptance, assessing how right-wing values moderate this association. Using multilevel ordered logit models and an original ordinal taxonomy of legal accessibility —comprising absolute prohibition, therapeutic exception, access by specific grounds, and free access—, the analysis compares the cases of Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay, Peru, Mexico, Chile, and Brazil. Findings show that free access is associated with higher levels of social acceptance, while exception-based re gimes continue to frame abortion as a stigmatized practice. This positive association weakens in the presence of right-wing ideological dispositions —such as exclusionary nationalism, devotional religiosity, and doctrinal exclusivism— which activate a form of reactionary retrenchment: a symbolic containment mechanism that neutralizes the normative potential of legal reform. The study concludes that the social acceptance of abortion is not determined solely by legal frameworks, but also by the ideological disputes that shape and moderate public attitudes toward reproductive rights.

Author Biographies

  • Juan Federico Pino Uribe, Profesor-investigador titular en el Departamento de Estudios Políticos de Flacso-Ecuador

    Juan Federico Pino Uribe is a political scientist, currently a professor at the Faculty of Latin American Social Sciences (FLACSO) in Ecuador. He holds a degree in Political Science from the Universidad Javeriana, a Master's in Political Science, and a Doctorate in Political Science from the Universidad de los Andes. His research focuses on subnational politics, political communication, reconciliation, and political violence, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. He has extensive experience working with governmental and non-governmental organizations, particularly on projects related to armed conflict, political participation, and peace culture. His academic work has been published in various scholarly journals, such as Latin American Policy, Nationalities Papers, Política y Gobierno, Colombia Internacional, Análisis Político, and Dados.

  • Stephanie Castillo Fell, Candidata a doctora en Políticas Públicas por Flacso-Ecuador

    Stephanie Castillo is a lawyer graduated from the Catholic University of Ecuador and holds a master's degree in Comparative Politics from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO), Ecuador. Her research primarily focuses on new right-wing movements, feminisms, and the advancement of women's rights. She has worked on analyzing the influence of conservative ideologies on public policies, particularly in areas related to reproductive rights and gender equity in Latin America.

     

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Published

2026-05-30

Issue

Vol. 33 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Articles

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How to Cite

Pino Uribe, J. F., & Castillo Fell, S. (2026). Abortion Decriminalization and Reactionary Retrenchment: How Right-Wing Values Limit Social Acceptance in Latin America. Política Y Gobierno, 33(1). http://www.politicaygobierno.cide.edu/index.php/pyg/article/view/1812

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