Colombia will become the fourth country in Latin America to legalize marriage equality, after a surprise ruling from its Constitutional Court. Within Latin America, same-sex marriage has already been adopted in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, as well as certain regions of Mexico.
The court ruled 6-3 in favor of marriage equality, rejecting a proposal that said that marriage only applied to unions between men and women and that the issue ought to be left up to Congress. Magistrate Alberto Rojas, who will write the majority decision, stated, “All human beings… have a fundamental right to be married with no discrimination.”
Conservative politicians and activists are likely to fight the court. Following a 2015 ruling legalizing adoption by same-sex couples, Senator Viviane Morales proposed holding a referendum that would have Colombian citizens vote on the court decision. Opponents of this ruling are likely to pursue a similar tactic.