Luisa Cabal is Director of the International Legal Program at the Center for Reproductive Rights.

On November 17, Nicaragua's congress passed a complete ban on abortion. The ban offers no exceptions for women's health, for victims of rape or incest - or even for women whose lives are at risk. By passing this outrageous ban, Nicaragua has joined the ranks of Chile and El Salvador, the only countries in the world to have imposed total abortion bans in the last 20 years.

Blog posts on the rightwing groups opposing the ballot initiative to repeal South Dakota's notorious ban on abortion are the featured posts in this week's round up.

Coathangers at Dawn

Coathangers at Dawn a blog devoted to reporting on the upcoming referendum on the South Dakota abortion ban, summarizes a report by The Guardian newspaper, on antiabortion leader Leslee Unruh.

The Guardian also reports that Vote Yes IS being used as a staging grounds for the anti-abortion picketing going on around town. Is there any doubt left that the angry protestors, the graphic signs and billboard vehicles are part of their strategy?

"Unruh is based at an industrial shed near the airport in Sioux Falls. This is where the protesters gather before they set out for the Planned Parenthood clinic, with their stark posters reading: "I regret my abortion.""

This statement Unruh made to the Guardian should make the entire state take notice. Not only does she admit that Vote Yes is currently losing the campaign but admits that she will continue to jam her agenda down the state's throat next year too. It's time to stop these extremists in their tracks.

"Unruh knows the stakes are high, and she acknowledges that her opponents may have the edge. But that does not deter her. If the ban is defeated, she says, she will march right back to the state legislature in January and start over again. "It will never be over," she insists."