Mexico Supreme Court rules criminalizing abortion is unconstitutional

Sept. 7 (UPI) -- The Mexican Supreme Court unanimously ruled Tuesday that it's unconstitutional to criminalize abortion.

The ruling came in response to a new law in the state of Coahuila that punished women with three years in jail for having an abortion. The 11 justices said that law violated the country's Constitution.

"Today is a historic day for the rights of all Mexican women," Chief Justice Arturo Zaldivar said. "It is a watershed in the history of the rights of all women, especially the most vulnerable."

The ruling makes Mexico the largest Latin American country to allow early abortions, The New York Times reported. Previously three Mexican states allowed the procedure -- Hidalgo, Oaxaca and Veracruz.

The ruling comes a week after Texas, just to the north, enacted a new, stricter law banning abortions after a heartbeat can be detected -- as early as six weeks of pregnancy.