Analysis-Mexico has decriminalized abortion, but nationwide access remains elusive

FILE PHOTO: A banner reading: "Abortion Out of the Penal Code" hangs from a building during International Women's Day, at the Zocalo Square in Mexico City, Mexico March 8, 2023. REUTERS/Quetzalli Nicte-Ha/File Photo

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - In a sweeping decision that would have once seemed almost impossible in this Catholic country, where women were jailed for ending pregnancies, Mexico's Supreme Court this week declared it unconstitutional for the federal government to criminalize abortion.

It was a huge victory for abortion rights advocates who have pushed for such a comprehensive ruling since 2021, when Mexico's top Court first struck down a law criminalizing abortion in the northern state of Coahuila.