Nicaragua: A Dying Generation

In 2006, Nicaragua banned all forms of abortion including therapeutic abortions, which are operations to save the mother's life, after a furious campaign by the Catholic Church. The new law also established jail sentences of 6 to 30 years for women who terminate their pregnancies and doctors who perform the procedure. As a result, the deaths of women who have had 'back alley abortions' have skyrocketed infuriating human and women's rights groups all over the world. It is somewhat ironic that Nicaragua's leftist government approved the law. However, this was largely due to their attempts to appease the powerful Catholic Church in exchange for the church's support for their anti-poverty measures. The Underground went to Nicaragua in 2008 to film interviews with the families of the victims, human rights groups, representatives of the Catholic Church, and government officials - this short documentary is the result. Since then this film has been used by several human rights groups as testimonials in their litigation to overturn the ban on abortion in Nicaragua.