Uruguay has become the second country in Latin America to legalize abortion. The other nation is communist Cuba.

The measure is causing major divisions within the predominantly Roman Catholic country. The Uruguayan Senate approved the bill 17-14 to allow abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The bill was a compromise between enough pro-choice and anti-abortion legislators to pass the bill.

Pro-abortion crusaders say many lives will be saved with the end of high-risk abortions compared to the number of babies who will die via abortion.

The compromise law states that a woman will have to justify before a panel of experts why they wish an abortion and they will need to wait several days before being able to state their final decision.

Pro-life politicians say the government should have adopted measures that encourage adoptions rather than changing laws to permit abortions.

“Abortion does not seek to protect and preserve a patient’s health,” pro-life Senator Alfredo Solari.