The Chamber of Deputies of Uruguay approved a bill authorizing euthanasia

Montevideo.– The Chamber of Deputies of Uruguay approved this Wednesday a bill that legalizes euthanasia, with 64 votes in favor and 29 against, comfortably exceeding the minimum of 50 supports required. The initiative, which will now go to the Senate for ratification, would make the country the third in Latin America to allow assisted death, along with Colombia and Ecuador. The text establishes a legal framework to guarantee “the right of people to go through the process of dying with dignity” and to offer a “painless, peaceful, and respectful” death to those who meet the requirements.

You can also read: The first trans woman to head a presidential secretariat “opens doors” in Uruguay | De Último Minuto

Who can request the procedure? Adults with full mental capacity, who are in the terminal stage of an incurable and irreversible illness or suffer unbearable pain, and the authorization must have the endorsement of at least two health professionals, and will be limited to Uruguayan citizens or legal residents.

“The debate on assisted death is not new, but this time we have made progress in recognizing it as a right,” said Luis Enrique Gallo, the project’s promoter.

The proposal was supported by lawmakers from the ruling party and the opposition, following legislative work that began in early 2025 and was endorsed by the Health Commission in July. The Senate, where the ruling party has a majority, could put the law to a vote before the end of the year. If approved, Uruguay will join a list of countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Canada, and some jurisdictions in Australia and the United States that already regulate euthanasia or assisted suicide, keeping alive the debate on individual autonomy versus the ethical and medical guarantees of the process.