SAN JOSE – Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves further restricted access to abortion Wednesday, limiting it to situations when the mother’s life is in danger.

The country's previous regulations also allowed abortions if a pregnancy posed a threat to the mother’s health. No legislative approval was required for the change.

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In making the rule change through the Health Ministry, Chaves made good on a promise he had given religious conservatives at the Evangelical Alliance earlier this month.

“Today the only reason for which an abortion can be done without penalty is when there are only two options: the mother’s life or the life of the being that is inside,” Chaves said during a news conference.

While abortion access has advanced in recent years in some of Latin Am

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