# Chilean abortion law and gender policy debate > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/chilean-abortion-law-and-gender-policy-debate > Updated: 2026-08-20T17:32:40.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2. The debate over abortion laws in Chile intensified following interventions by Deputy Cristóbal Urruticoechea of the Partido Nacional Libertario. Urruticoechea proposed the ‘Escucha Su Corazón’ initiative, which would mandate that a pregnant woman listen to a fetal heartbeat prior to an abortion. He also criticized technical regulation updates that expanded risk-based exceptions, arguing they would lead to ‘free abortion’. During his congressional remarks, he requested that feminist legislators be silenced and linked the issue to the UN’s Agenda 2030. Following these developments, media personality Fran García-Huidobro publicly criticized Women and Gender Equality Minister Judith Marín. García-Huidobro accused the minister of inaction regarding femicide and the ‘Escucha su corazón’ bill. She further alleged that the ministry has failed to represent all citizens, specifically citing the exclusion of the LGBTIQ community, and suggested that personal religious beliefs might be influencing public policy in the secular state. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-20: Fran García-Huidobro criticizes Chilean Women's Minister Chilean presenter Fran García-Huidobro criticized Women's Minister Judith Marín for perceived inaction on femicide and gender equality, while questioning if religious beliefs are impacting public policy. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/fran-garca-huidobro-criticizes-chilean-womens-minister ### 2026-07-22: Chile deputy Urruticoechea sparks controversy over abortion debate in Congress Chile deputy Cristóbal Urruticoechea of the PNL demanded the Chamber president silence feminist MPs while denouncing a recent abortion‑law update, igniting criticism during debate on his “Escucha Su Corazón” b​ 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/chile-deputy-urruticoechea-sparks-controversy-over-abortion-debate-in-congress --- Cite as: Chilean abortion law and gender policy debate. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/chilean-abortion-law-and-gender-policy-debate