LA PAZ: Bolivia’s parliament has approved legislation to prohibit marriages and civil unions involving minors, aligning the nation with thirteen other Latin American countries that have already outlawed this practice.
A 2014 law previously restricted marriage to adults but included an exception permitting sixteen and seventeen-year-olds to marry with parental or guardian consent.
Official data from the Ombudsman’s Office of Bolivia reveals that just over 4,800 underage unions were registered between 2014 and 2023 under this legal provision.
The Chamber of Deputies passed an amendment on Wednesday to eliminate this loophole, following the senate’s initial approval of the bill back in April.
The legislation now proceeds to the president for formal promulgation into law.
Ruling party senator and bill author Virginia Velasco described the move as a promise that teenage girls will no longer face forced marriages, educational disruption, or inappropriate responsibilities.
Velasco further clarified that officials who register marriages involving minors could face prosecution and imprisonment for up to four years.
According to advocacy group Save the Children, 32,300 girls in Bolivia were married before reaching age fifteen in 2014, the most recent year with available data.
Thirteen Latin American nations including Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and El Salvador have already prohibited child marriages, as confirmed by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. – AFP
Hence then, the article about bolivia passes bill to end child marriages and protect minors was published today ( ) and is available on Daily Sun ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Bolivia passes bill to end child marriages and protect minors )
Also on site :
- APOD: 2026 October 12 – Jupiter and the Moons
- Pamela Smart was convicted after a 14-day trial in 1991 of being an accomplice to her husband’s murder; she admitted responsibility in 2024 and is still serving life without parole
- Jon Bon Jovi funded a Red Bank restaurant in 2011 where diners pay what they can or volunteer to eat; JBJ Soul Kitchen has since served more than 275,000 meals