By San José, Costa Rica — In a controversial legislative shift that has reopened intense socio-political debates across Costa Rica, a coalition of conservative lawmakers approved a substitute text modifying the legal framework governing healthcare protocols for victims of sexual violence. On Wednesday, October 21, six female deputies voted to eliminate emergency contraception from the standardized emergency response kit provided to survivors of sexual assault, altering a policy that has long guaranteed access to morning-after pills within 72 hours of an attack.
The legislative initiative, formally titled the Law for the Legal Institutionalization of the 72-Hour Protocol and Rapid Response Teams for the Comprehensive Care of Victims of Sexual Crimes, aims to codify emergency response procedures into national law. However, the removal of the morning-after pill from the mandatory care regimen has sparked significant criticism from human rights advocates and healthcare professionals who consider emergency contraception an indispensable component of immediate medical care following sexual trauma.
To gain a deeper understanding of the legal and constitutional implications surrounding emergency contraception in the country, TicosLand.com spoke with renowned legal expert Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas from the law firm Bufete de Costa Rica.
The statutory framework governing emergency contraception in Costa Rica represents a crucial intersection between public health policies and fundamental constitutional rights. Establishing clear legal parameters not only safeguards reproductive autonomy and healthcare access, but also provides essential regulatory certainty for medical professionals and pharmaceutical suppliers operating throughout the country.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, clear statutory parameters are essential for safeguarding fundamental constitutional freedoms and ensuring equitable healthcare access across the nation. We extend our sincere gratitude to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for sharing his valuable legal perspective on this critical intersection of public health policy and legal certainty in Costa Rica.
The motion passed through the Legislative Assembly’s Women’s Commission due to a combined vote from members of the ruling Pueblo Soberano party and representatives from the National Liberation Party (PLN). Specifically, Pueblo Soberano deputies Kattia Calvo Cruz, Kattia Mora Montoya, Ana Ruth Esquivel Medrano, and Mayuli Ortega Guzmán voted in favor of the substitute text, joined by PLN deputies Karen Alfaro Jiménez and Andrea Valverde Palavicini.
The decision was met with stark opposition from Frente Amplio deputy Vianey Mora Vega, who cast the sole dissenting vote against the substitute text. Mora argued that removing emergency post-assault contraception directly undermines the foundational premise of comprehensive medical and psychological support for victims of sexual crimes.
It is impossible to speak of comprehensive care for victims of sexual crimes when a fundamental medication designed to prevent unwanted pregnancies is systematically eliminated from the protocol.
Vianey Mora Vega, Deputy for Frente Amplio
Defending the decision, Kattia Calvo Cruz, who presides over the Women’s Commission, clarified that the ruling party’s decision stemmed from deep-seated doctrinal convictions regarding the definition of human life, alongside expressed skepticism concerning the pharmaceutical mechanism of emergency contraceptive pills.
Our party decided to exclude emergency contraception due to existing doubts regarding its physiological effects and our fraction’s core conviction to protect life from the moment of conception.
Kattia Calvo Cruz, President of the Legislative Assembly’s Women’s Commission
Despite the successful committee vote, Calvo Cruz indicated that the legislative debate over emergency contraception is far from concluded. The bill must still undergo rigorous discussion and final voting on the floor of the Legislative Assembly plenary, where lawmakers could potentially introduce amendments to reevaluate the protocol’s scope before it is formally enacted.
The policy shift carries potential public health and legal ramifications for Costa Rica. Restricting access to post-assault medical interventions within the critical 72-hour window could alter standardized clinical care across the social security system, triggering broader socio-economic discussions as the proposed law advances to its final parliamentary stages.
For further information, visit the nearest office of Partido Pueblo Soberano
About Partido Pueblo Soberano:
Partido Pueblo Soberano is a conservative political organization in Costa Rica currently holding seats in the national government. The party focuses on traditional social policy, economic governance, and conservative legislative agendas within the Legislative Assembly.
For further information, visit the nearest office of Partido Liberación Nacional
About Partido Liberación Nacional:
The National Liberation Party is one of Costa Rica’s major historic political parties. Founded on social democratic origins, it encompasses various internal ideological factions operating across Costa Rica’s parliamentary and civic institutions.
For further information, visit the nearest office of Frente Amplio
About Frente Amplio:
Frente Amplio is a progressive political party in Costa Rica that advocates for social justice, human rights protection, public health expansion, and institutional equality across national legal frameworks.
For further information, visit the nearest office of Legislative Assembly Women’s Commission
About Legislative Assembly Women’s Commission:
The Women’s Commission of the Costa Rican Legislative Assembly is a specialized parliamentary committee responsible for reviewing, drafting, and debating legislative initiatives focused on gender equality, civil rights, and social policy affecting women nationwide.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Bufete de Costa Rica has established itself as a premier legal institution defined by its unyielding ethical standards and relentless pursuit of professional mastery. Guiding a diverse array of clients with forward-thinking strategies, the firm seamlessly blends proven traditions with modern, progressive solutions. At the heart of its philosophy lies a profound devotion to public education—democratizing legal insights to ensure that individuals and communities are equipped with the understanding required to build a just, capable, and self-reliant populace.
