MEXICO CITY, May 21, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Mexico’s secretary for Social Development, Rosario Robles, recently told a group of Cora Indians in the state of Nayarit to “attend the family planning workshops, so that you have three children in your whole life, not more,” sparking the outrage of media and pro-family leaders across the country who are asking for her removal.
Robles warned the indigenous women that having more than three children will preclude them from the government program “Oportunidades,” which gives impoverished families up to around 215 USD monthly. This would amount to 1.4 USD daily for each member of a family of five (two parents and three children).
“Oportunidades will no longer benefit those [women] with many children, but will support those with few children,” said Robles. “Small families live a better life… we need to think of these boys and girls. So don’t make mistakes.”
Critics have called her comments “racist” and “discriminatory.”
According to Oaxaca’s bishop emeritus, Monsignor Arturo Lona, Robles should first study the indigenous people. “She doesn’t know about their ethnic structure,” said the bishop. “She doesn’t know that indigenous women do not know about abortions, they do not know about condoms. They only know about the miracle of life.”
Pro-family leader and president for the Mexican Family Council, Juan Dabdoud, filed a complaint before the Human Rights National Committee, calling Robles’ declarations “unconstitutional.”
The Mexican Constitution guarantees non-discrimination in its first article and states in its fourth: “Every person has the right to decide freely and responsibly on the number of children [they have].”
“They are trying to end with the poor instead of putting an end to poverty,” said Dabdoub in a press release. “They are telling them: ‘you are poor, you are not allowed to have more children.’” He added that the government investing in giving people a better education would them out of their impoverished state.
According to the polling house datosmacro.com, Mexico’s birth rate in 2012 was of 2.22 children per women, barely over the 2.1 required to maintain a healthy population pyramid.