Overview

• The Senate approved the 'Muerte Digna' law with 20 votes in favor out of 31 present, decriminalizing euthanasia under specified conditions.
• Eligibility is limited to adults who are mentally competent and have chronic, incurable or irreversible conditions that gravely reduce quality of life with unbearable suffering.
• Access requires an eight-stage pathway that begins with a patient request, adds an independent second opinion and a second interview, and concludes with a recorded final will before the physician proceeds.
• The measure drew cross-party backing and tactical moves, with Partido Nacional’s Graciela Bianchi and Colorado’s Andrés Ojeda voting yes and Robert Silva yielding his seat so substitute Ope Pasquet could participate.
• Implementation will establish a review commission with annual reporting, permit conscientious refusal by clinicians and institutions, and route services through public and nonprofit providers rather than private clinics.