Protesters clashed with police in violent scenes on the streets of Buenos Aires after the country's senate rejected a bill to legalise abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
Lawmakers voted 38-31 against the bill following a 15-hour-long debate on Wednesday.
Currently, abortion in Argentina is only allowed in cases of rape and risks to a woman's health. Thousands of women, most of them poor, are hospitalised each year for complications linked to unsafe abortions.
The lower house had already passed the measure with President Mauricio Macri saying that he would sign it should it be passed in the Senate.
As lawmakers debated the bill, supporters gathered outside congress to watch the debate on live screens.
After the vote, a number of protestors clashed with police, throwing firebombs and setting up flaming barricades. Police officers responded with tear gas.
Dramatic images from the scene show people throwing bottles and other objects while anti-abortion activists celebrate.
The country's Health Ministry estimated in 2016 that the country sees as many as half a million illegal abortions every year with dozens of women dying as a result.
The issue has divided Argentines. On Wednesday, a "Mass for Life" was held in the capital.
Cardibnal Mario Poli, the archbishop of Buenos Aires told churchgoers: "Caring for life is the first human right and the duty of the State."
Feminist groups and doctors held rallies in support of the bill on Wednesday.
Former President Cristina Fernandez, who is now an opposition senator said: "It's a shame that we were not able to reach a consensus because the problem will continue to exist exactly as it did before we began this debate. We need to make an effort to resolve this."
"It's a shame that we were not able to reach a consensus because the problem will continue to exist exactly as it did before we began this debate," said former President Cristina Fernandez, who is an opposition senator.
"We need to make an effort to resolve this," she said.
Additional reporting by AP.
