Uruguay has just become the first country in South America to approve the legalization of euthanasia. The measure, known as the “Dignified Death Law,” was approved by the Senate and now awaits the signature of President Yamandú Orsi, who has already expressed support for the bill. This information is from g1 .
The text was discussed for more than a decade and defended by the governing coalition Frente Ampla, which had established the issue as one of the 15 legislative priorities for 2025. According to research by the Cifra consultancy, 62% of Uruguayans support legalization and only 24% are against it.
How the law will work
According to the approved bill, only adults, citizens or residents of Uruguay, who are terminally ill or suffering unbearable pain that severely compromises their quality of life, may request euthanasia. Another requirement is that the person be mentally capable of making the decision.
The process involves a series of steps, including a written statement from the patient, recorded in the presence of witnesses, before final authorization. The detailed regulations are yet to be defined, but supporters of the law argue that the text contains safeguards that protect both doctors and patients.
Voices of those awaiting the new law
Among the first known cases is that of Beatriz Gelós, 71 , diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at age 52. In an interview with AFP, she said: “It would give me incredible peace if it were passed. It’s a compassionate, very humane, very well-written law.” Beatriz , who now relies on a wheelchair, added: “The time has come. You have no idea what it’s like to live like this.” A retired teacher and grandmother, she emphasizes that the key is having the option to decide when enough is enough.
Activist Florencia Salgueiro , from the Empathy group, also advocated for the measure. She recounted the experience of her father, Pablo, who died at age 57 from ALS without having access to the procedure. “The key to regulation is respecting the adult’s desire to end their suffering,” she emphasized.
Religious resistance
The approval of euthanasia reinforces Uruguay’s image as a pioneer in progressive legislation, following in the footsteps of the regulation of the cannabis market, same-sex marriage, and the decriminalization of abortion.
Still, the issue is divisive. The Catholic Church expressed “sadness” over the vote, and more than a dozen civil society organizations criticized the measure, calling it “deficient and dangerous.” Lawyer Marcela Pérez Pascual, who signed a manifesto against the law, declared: “The most vulnerable people are being left unprotected.”
A movement that grows in the world
With this decision, Uruguay joins a select group of countries that allow euthanasia, including Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, and New Zealand . In Latin America, Colombia was the first to decriminalize the procedure in 1997, and Ecuador passed similar legislation in 2024.
Source: brasil247.com