Overview
- The Tribunal Constitucional ruled for Scarlett Rocha and Fabiana Justiniano on March 13, authorizing recognition of their union under Bolivia’s obligation to apply human‑rights treaties that offer greater protection.
- The pair formally married before a Registro Civil official in Santa Cruz on August 7 and received an official marriage certificate and a libreta familiar.
- Their lawyers built the case on a constitutional clause that gives priority to international human‑rights treaties and on a 2018 CorteIDH precedent requiring equal legal protections for same‑sex couples.
- Reactions split sharply: LGBTI groups and rights lawyers hailed the decision, while conservative and evangelical groups called it unconstitutional; the Defensoría del Pueblo confirmed the marriage is legal but said administrative steps such as child registration and social security access still need fixing.
- Advocates say the ruling creates a judicial route for other same‑sex couples to seek marriage recognition, but full implementation will likely require additional court decisions or administrative reforms and could prompt new legal challenges.