Governor of Puerto Rico Signs Law Recognizing Unborn Babies as Human Beings

Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González, a Republican, signed legislation Thursday recognizing unborn babies as human beings.

The new law is a pro-life milestone that affirms the humanity of the unborn and promotes consistency in the territory’s legal framework. The measure amends Puerto Rico’s Penal Code to recognize the unborn child as a human being.

Gov. González stated that the legislation “aims to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions by recognizing the unborn child as a human being.”

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The amendment complements an existing law that classifies as first-degree murder the intentional and knowing killing of a pregnant woman resulting in the death of the conceived child at any stage of gestation. The legislation was named after Keishla Rodríguez, a pregnant woman murdered in April 2021; her killer, former boxer Félix Verdejo, received two life sentences.

Supporters emphasize that the law focuses on harsher punishments for violence against pregnant women and ensures legal coherence without directly addressing abortion, which remains legal in the territory. But it is seen as a first step towards a potential law that bans abortions and protecting unborn babies.

This step aligns with broader recognition of unborn life, building on prior measures such as amendments to the Civil Code affirming personhood from conception in civil contexts like inheritance rights.

Pro-life advocates view the signing as a significant affirmation of the dignity of every human being from conception.

Leading pro-life groups describe it as a symbolic recognition of life from conception but emphasize it does not alter current abortion statutes or add protections against abortion yet.

National Right to Life (NRL) applauds the Government of Puerto Rico and Governor Jenniffer González Colón for signing Senate Bill 504 into law, affirming that human life begins at conception and that unborn children are to be legally recognized as natural persons under Puerto Rico’s Civil Code.

“National Right to Life celebrates this landmark achievement for the pro‑life movement,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Puerto Rico’s clear and courageous recognition of preborn babies as persons reflects a deep respect for life and provides a powerful example for lawmakers throughout the United States. Legal personhood for the preborn is not only consistent with science and human dignity but is the foundation upon which a culture of life can flourish.”

This historic legal recognition marks one of the strongest pro‑life affirmations within U.S. jurisdictions. By explicitly acknowledging the inherent dignity and personhood of the preborn, Puerto Rico has taken a principled and scientifically grounded step to align its civil law with the biological reality that human life begins at fertilization.

SB 504 amends the Civil Code to recognize the preborn child as a natural person from the moment of conception. While the law does not alter Puerto Rico’s current abortion statutes, it establishes an important legal and moral precedent by embedding recognition of the unborn child within the territory’s legal framework.

“Puerto Rico’s action stands as a compelling reaffirmation that the protection of human life at all stages is a fundamental civil right,” said Tobias. “This measure underscores the essential truth that every human being—born and unborn—deserves equal protection under the law.”

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