Overview

• The upper chamber approved the law with 20 votes in favor out of 31 present, and the result was formally announced for communication to the Executive.
• Uruguay becomes the first country in Latin America to legalize euthanasia through legislation, unlike Colombia and Ecuador where court rulings decriminalized the practice.
• Eligibility is limited to mentally competent adults with chronic, incurable or irreversible conditions causing unbearable suffering, with an eight-stage process that includes an independent second opinion, reaffirmation interviews and a documented final will.
• Authorized providers include ASSE, nonprofit mutualistas, the Hospital de Clínicas, and military and police health services, while private clinics are excluded, with conscientious objection and a review commission with annual reporting built into the statute.
• Operational details still require reglamentación, including clinical protocols, provider readiness and oversight mechanisms, after a debate shaped by patient advocates like Beatriz Gelós and opponents from religious and medical groups.