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Uruguay passes law legalizing Euthanasia
Uruguay has officially become one of the few countries in the world to legalize euthanasia. After years of parliamentary debate, the Senate approved the new “Dignified Death” law on Wednesday with a wide majority — 20 votes in favor out of 31 lawmakers present.
The Chamber of Deputies had already given its initial approval in August, and with this final Senate vote, the bill is now law. The measure allows medically assisted death under strict conditions, joining countries such as Canada, the Netherlands, and Spain. In Latin America, Colombia decriminalized euthanasia in 1997, followed by Ecuador in 2024.
Some spectators in the Senate gallery interrupted the applause after the vote, shouting “Murderers!” — reflecting the ongoing moral and ethical divide over the issue.
Eligibility and safeguards
To qualify, a person must be an adult, a citizen or resident of Uruguay, and mentally competent, while suffering from a terminal, incurable illness or enduring unbearable pain that severely reduces their quality of life. Before euthanasia is carried out, several medical and psychological evaluations are required, and the patient must confirm their written consent.
Beatriz Gelós, 71, who has lived for nearly two decades with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), welcomed the law: “Those who oppose it have no idea what it means to live like this,” she told AFP. “I just want to have the option to say enough.”
Another patient, Pablo Cánepa, 39, suffering from a rare incurable disease, had also called for the right to die. “Pablo has been agonizing for years,” said his brother Eduardo. “He’s not living — it’s not a life,” added their mother.
Public support and reactions
According to a Cifra poll, over 60% of Uruguayans support the legalization of euthanasia, while only 24% oppose it. The Uruguayan Medical Association did not take an official position but participated as an advisor throughout the legislative process to “ensure maximum guarantees for patients and doctors,” said its president, Álvaro Niggemeyer.
The Catholic Church expressed “sadness” following the vote, joining more than ten civic and religious groups that criticized the law as “deficient and dangerous.”