Overview
- The Senate approved the 'Mort digne' bill with 20 votes from 31 senators present, following the Chamber of Deputies' initial approval in August.
- The law restricts eligibility to cognitively competent adults who are citizens or residents facing a terminal illness or unbearable suffering with severe deterioration in quality of life.
- Requests must proceed through preliminary steps culminating in written consent, with evaluations by two physicians and referral to a practitioners' council if they disagree.
- Uruguay is the region’s first to legislate euthanasia, contrasting with court-driven depenalization of assisted suicide in Colombia and Ecuador.
- Polling shows more than 60% support, while the Catholic Church and multiple associations voiced opposition, and the Medical College advised on safeguards without taking an official position.