Bolivian lawmaker's sterilization proposal for homeless sparks outrage

A legislative proposal in Bolivia to sterilize homeless individuals struggling with drug addiction has ignited a firestorm of criticism and public debate. Congressman Néstor Rodríguez, from the Alianza Unidad party, put forth the initiative as part of a broader National Integral Social Reintegration Program for this vulnerable population.

The program, as outlined by Rodríguez, would include medical attention, addiction treatment, education, job training, and specialized institutional follow-up. He stated that any measures related to reproduction would only be considered after all other stages of the process were exhausted. Rodríguez argued that the state must intervene to prevent children from being born into extreme vulnerability.

However, the proposal was met with immediate and strong condemnation. Bolivia's Ombudsman's Office and civil society organizations issued a joint statement expressing "deepest rejection and concern" over the congressman's public declarations. They highlighted that the legislator had indicated sterilization would be "mandatory" for "all these women who are vulnerable and on the street and drug-dependent."

The Ombudsman's Office emphasized that forced sterilization is a "grave violation of human rights," infringing upon dignity, personal integrity, liberty, privacy, equality, health, and reproductive rights. They cited the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which asserts that decisions about one's body and reproductive health are exclusively individual and cannot be coerced.

In response to the intense controversy and after meetings with the Ombudsman's Office, foundations, and shelters, Rodríguez indicated a willingness to reconsider the terminology. He suggested that the term "sterilization" might be replaced with "permanent contraceptive methods" to prevent births on the street and allow for better control. Initial estimates suggest around 18,000 people are homeless in Bolivia, with approximately 35% being women.