All eyes on Uruguayan euthanasia volunteers
“I still don’t want to use it. I can write, go out when I have company and enjoy a literary workshop. But I know what awaits me and I’m not willing to live that,” said Gelós.
The cases of Uruguayans Pablo Cánepa, 39, and Beatriz Gelós, 71, caught public attention after the promulgation of the so-called Dignified Death Law (or Euthanasia Law). Both suffer from irreversible diseases and have expressed their intention to benefit from this procedure as soon as it is regulated. Their cases were even mentioned in the parliamentary debate that led to the reform.
Cánepa suffers from idiopathic cerebellar ataxia, a degenerative autoimmune disease with no known cure that has kept him bedridden since the age of 35. Before, he worked as an illustrator, played sports and lived independently. Currently, his mobility is reduced to partial movement of the fingers on one hand.
“I am calm and sure of my decision. I have no hope. This is not life”, he declared in an interview with Clarín. Mónica Silva, Cánepa’s mother, told Telemundo in an interview the moment her son asked her for help to die. “That sentence broke my heart. But I have to accept it, because he is an adult and has complete autonomy”, he said.
Beatriz Gelós, who worked as a Spanish teacher, has been fighting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for 19 years. She was one of the most visible promoters of the legal initiative, being present in Parliament on August 12, when the Chamber of Deputies approved the project. “I have suffered; I deserve a peaceful death.”
In his statement, read by deputy Luis Gallo, he described his experience with the disease and his desire to be able to decide when to end his suffering. “My life would be more dignified if I could clean myself, write by hand, talk on the phone or scratch myself,” he wrote.
In conversation with Portal Montevideo, Gelós detailed his story and his almost two decades of living with ALS. “I understand that there are extreme situations in which life is not worth living.” Although he clarifies that he does not intend to request euthanasia immediately, he guarantees that the existence of the law gives him peace of mind. “I still don’t want to use it. I can write, go out when I have company and enjoy a literary workshop. But I know what awaits me and I’m not willing to live that”, she said.
Following the recent approval of Uruguayan end-of-life legislation, health authorities are now tasked with developing the regulatory framework necessary for its implementation. This includes establishing detailed protocols, consent procedures and training programs for medical personnel. The process is expected to last several months, during which safeguards will be implemented to ensure that all assessments and interventions strictly comply with the ethical and safety standards set out in law. Authorities seek to avoid any risk of arbitrariness or misinterpretation.
Uruguay’s implementation will be closely monitored by neighboring countries, many of which are just beginning to debate similar measures. Practical application of the law – such as the volume of requests, patient demographics and the strength of oversight mechanisms – is expected to provide crucial information for international debates on bioethics and legal frameworks. In this context, Uruguay’s experience emerges as a regional case study in the evolving discourse on end-of-life rights.
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