Rebecca Manzi With the muerte digna law, Uruguay becomes the first Latin American country to legalize euthanasia: a historic step to restore freedom and dignity to those suffering without hope of recovery
With 20 votes in favor out of 31, Uruguay’s Senate has approved the muerte digna law, making the country the first in Latin America to legalize euthanasia through a legislative process rather than a judicial one. This milestone comes after five years of debates, hearings and testimonies, and consolidates Uruguay’s reputation as one of the continent’s most progressive democracies.
The law does not provide for assisted suicide, but regulates medical intervention in the end-of-life process. Only adults suffering from incurable diseases that cause unbearable physical or psychological suffering will be able to request it.
A path based on informed consent
The heart of the new law is informed consent. The patient must make the request in writing, before two witnesses, after a double medical evaluation. The document will be revocable at any time, to protect the person’s full autonomy.
No one will be able to decide in place of the patient: not the family, not religion, not the State. Euthanasia will only be performed after confirmation by two doctors or, in case of doubt, by a medical commission that certifies the condition of irreversibility and the presence of unbearable suffering.
A law that restores dignity, but not without opposition
The law also provides guaranteed access to palliative care for those who choose not to resort to euthanasia but wish for dignified accompaniment at the end of life. It’s a step that unites freedom and responsibility and aims to restore dignity even to those who suffer without hope of recovery.
However, critical reactions have not been lacking. Uruguay’s Episcopal Conference expressed “deep sorrow” over a law that, in their view, “transforms life into a disposable good.” Nevertheless, polls show that over 60% of the population is in favor.
After the legalization of abortion and marijuana, Uruguay confirms its secular and reformist vocation. It’s the moral legacy of figures like José “Pepe” Mujica, symbol of a country that continues to believe in freedom as a fundamental right even in the last, most difficult, passages of life.
