PR Gov. Signs Law: Unborn Babies are Human Beings
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PR Gov. Signs Law: Unborn Babies are Human Beings
M.A. Dworkin
San Juan, PR - Puerto Rico’s Republican Governor signed a law that amends a law to recognize an unborn baby as a human being, which opponents argue could eventually lead to outlawing abortion in the U.S. Territory.
Governor Jennifer Gonzalez, a supporter of President Donald Trump, said the law aims to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions by recognizing the unborn child as a human being.
The amendment, in Senate Bill 923, altered an article within Puerto Rico’s Penal Code that defines murder. The government said that the amendment complements the Keisha Madlane Law which affirms that it would be first-degree murder if a suspect intentionally and knowingly kills a pregnant woman resulting in the death of the conceived child at any stage of gestation. The bill therefore recognizes the death of a fetus as a homicide.
Legal experts warn that the amendment will have deep ramifications for the U.S. Caribbean Territory and that it would unleash confusion and affect how Doctors and pregnant or potentially pregnant women are treated.
“The new law will lead to defensive health care,” warned Dr. Carlos Diaz Velez, President of Puerto Rico’s College of Medical Surgeons. “This will bring complex clinical decisions into the realm of criminal law.”
Dr. Velez stated that women with complicated pregnancies will likely be turned away by private Doctors and will end up giving birth in the U.S. mainland or at Puerto Rico’s largest public hospital, noting that the island’s crumbling health system isn’t prepared for such contingencies.
“This will bring disastrous consequences,” he said. “This allows a third person to intervene between a Doctor and a pregnant woman, so privacy laws will be violated. New protocols and regulations will have to be implemented.”
Supporters of the law said it is designed to provide consistency between civil and criminal codes and focus on harsher punishments for the murder of pregnant women and that it was unrelated to abortion.
Critics of the law, who claim the amendment was approved without public hearings, argue that it opens the door to eventually criminalize abortion in Puerto Rico, which at this point remains legal.
Abortion is legal in Puerto Rico when performed by a physician to protect the pregnant person’s life or health, with “health” including physical, mental and socio-emotional well-being. While a 1937 statute technically limits it to therapeutic cases, in practice, abortion is widely accessible, and there are no parental consent requirements for minors.
“There is no doubt that the measure did not undergo adequate analysis before its approval and leaves an unacceptable space for ambiguity regarding civil rights,” said Annette Martinez Orabona, Executive Director for the American Civil Liberties Union in Puerto Rico. “The legislative leadership failed to fulfill its responsibility to the people, and so did the Governor.”
The law was named after Keisha Madlane Rodriguez Ortiz, who was pregnant when she was killed along with her unborn baby in April 2021 by her lover, former boxer Felix Verdejo, who received two life sentences after he was found guilty in the murder.
In December 2025, Governor Gonzalez signed a similar law into place that also recognized unborn babies as people. This law was enacted under Senate Bill 504, which amended Puerto Rico’s Civil Code. The legislation gave babies at any stage of gestation the same rights as every other human being.
December’s law was a landmark achievement for the pro-life movement.
“National Right to Life celebrates this landmark achievement for the pro-life movement,” said Carol Tobias, President of National Right to Life. “Puerto Rico’s clear and courageous recognition of preborn babies as persons reflects a deep respect for life and provides a powerful example for lawmakers throughout the United States.”
