Uruguayan Senate Poised to Approve Euthanasia Legislation Amid Public Support
The Uruguayan Senate is poised to approve the historic “Dignified Death Law,” which enjoys significant public backing and is set to alter the ethical and political landscape surrounding the right to die, reports 24brussels. This transformative legislation could establish Uruguay as the first country in Latin America to legalize euthanasia through formal legislative action. A vote is scheduled for Wednesday, with the progressive bloc holding a majority in the Senate.
The proposed law would permit any Uruguayan citizen or legal resident of legal age and sound mind to request euthanasia if they are afflicted by an incurable, irreversible illness or experience unbearable suffering that severely diminishes their quality of life.
“It’s a powerful, profound, and sensible bill,” stated Federico Preve, a neurologist and lawmaker from the Broad Front, a key advocate for the legislation. “It recognizes a human right to die with dignity, with clear guarantees based on international experience.”
Growing Support and Personal Narratives
This legislative initiative emerges amid escalating social support, highlighted by a Cifra poll indicating that 62% of Uruguayans favor the legalization of euthanasia. The conversation has been contextualized by poignant personal narratives, such as that of Florencia Salgueiro, whose father suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and died in 2020 without access to the proposed rights.
“My father asked to die with lucidity. His end was torture,” Salgueiro recounted, now actively involved with Empatía, a group of families and patients advocating for the law. “We fight so that no one else has to go through the same suffering.”
Another significant advocate is Beatriz Gelós, also battling ALS. Speaking from a nursing home in Montevideo, she emphasized, “I fight for everyone’s right to choose individually. I want the peace of mind that a dignified death law would bring me. No more suffering — I can’t take it anymore.”
An Ethical and Political Crossroads
This bill arrives at the Senate following years of unsuccessful attempts to enshrine similar rights. Initially proposed by former Colorado Party lawmaker Ope Pasquet, who took a Senate seat on Wednesday to support it, he stated, “There is no dignity without freedom. No one will be forced to die, nor prevented from doing so if they suffer without remedy. It’s freedom to choose — that’s what we demand.”
Haciendo honor a la mejor tradición liberal y humanitaria del Uruguay votamos la ley de Eutanasia.
Brillante @opepasquet pic.twitter.com/l6SBYd3g9M— Robert Silva (@RobertSilvaUy) October 15, 2025
The primary opposition stems from Prudencia Uruguay, a civic group asserting that the bill “discriminates against the most vulnerable and lacks sufficient safeguards.” Spokesperson Miguel Pastorino remarked, “What’s at stake are two different conceptions of human rights.”
A Law with Regional Implications
If enacted, Uruguay would distinguish itself as the first Latin American nation to legalize euthanasia through legislation, contrasting with Colombia and Ecuador, where similar practices were decriminalized via court rulings.
“The bill doesn’t impose beliefs; it grants freedom,” concluded Preve. “Those who wish to exercise this right will be able to do so. Those who don’t, won’t. With this law, Uruguay will be a more humane, compassionate, and freer country.”
