by Rod Hughes 

A severe law for the protection of wives, legal or common law, overwhelmingly passed the Legisilatiive Assembly by a vote of 45 to 3. The three male congressmen opposing the law were all from the Libertarian party.

The lone female member of the Libertarian congressional delegation voted for the measure. Libertarian opponents of the law tried to gather the 10 signatures necessary to send the bill to the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Chamber but failed, reported the daily La Nacion.

The law specifies 20 to 35 years in prison for murder of a spouse. The bill was drafted during the last congressional term in answer to a rising number of husbands or male companions murdering women.

The law also specifies up to two years for forced oral, anal or vaginal sex, as well as for insulting, demeaning or menacing a female companion.

One Libertarian deputy who voted against the bill on an earlier reading said he feared women would abuse the law in order to wreak vengeance on their spouses or gain other undue advantage. All the opponents felt the law was discriminatory against men, although they did not oppose the stiff penalty for murder.