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Colombia's Senate approved a instrumentality connected Wednesday (June 10, 2026) to prohibition pistillate genital mutilation (FGM), a signifier that persists successful immoderate of the country's Indigenous communities, aft 2 years of debate.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the afloat oregon partial removal of the clitoris causes superior wellness damage, poses a hazard of decease and violates the cardinal rights of girls.
If approved by leftist President Gustavo Petro, Colombia volition go the archetypal state successful Latin America to walk specified legislation.
The origins of the signifier successful Colombia are unknown, and NGO Equality Now believes it is the lone state successful Latin America wherever the signifier continues. Between 2020 and 2025, 204 FGMs were reported, but the fig is believed to beryllium vastly underreported.
In April, AFP travelled done the occidental mountainous coffee-growing regions, the ancestral territories of Embera Chami and Katio peoples, wherever FGM affects hundreds of girls.
Alejandrina Guasorna, a 74-year-old farmer, recovered retired arsenic an big that her clitoris had been removed soon aft birth.
But she grew up surrounded by the practice, and its deadly consequences.
"They were bringing successful dormant girls each the time," she told AFP. "We thought it was normal."
Embera Indigenous person Juliana Domico spoke retired against the signifier connected the Senate floor.
"This is not a taste practice, perfectly not. It is simply a harmful signifier that was imposed," she said.
