Uruguay becomes first Latin American country to pass euthanasia law

Uruguay on Wednesday became the first Latin American country to pass a law legalizing euthanasia.

The Uruguayan Senate voted in favour of the law, which the lower house of parliament had approved in August.

The text was approved by 20 out of 31 votes, newspaper El Observador reported, which noted that Uruguay was the first country in the predominantly Catholic region to legalize euthanasia through an act of parliament - in Colombia and Ecuador the practice was decriminalized through the courts.

"Today, Uruguay is once again at the forefront of the rights agenda. We have passed the euthanasia law: a measure that recognizes the freedom of choice until the very end, with dignity and freedom," said Senator Constanza Moreira on social media platform X.

Senator Alejandro Sánchez said that the passing of the law "speaks to a deep commitment to human dignity and freedom."

Senator Daniel Caggiani spoke of a "historic day."

"Once again at the forefront of expanding rights, Uruguay becomes the first country in Latin America with a law that allows euthanasia, guaranteeing the right to die with dignity," he continued on X.

Uruguay joins just a handful of countries worldwide with a law on euthanasia, including the Netherlands, Spain and Canada.