Mexico Opens Legislative Debate on Legal Euthanasia

Mexico has formally begun the legislative debate to legalize euthanasia under a citizen-backed initiative known as the Ley Trasciende (Transcend Law). The proposal, presented to the Chamber of Deputies after a Senate forum, seeks to amend the General Health Law to allow medically assisted death for adults diagnosed with terminal, chronic, or degenerative diseases.

The initiative emerged from a citizen movement led by activist and academic Samara Martínez, who argues that the measure is not about promoting death but humanizing it. “The Ley Trasciende does not seek to promote death, but to humanize it — so that no one in Mexico has to die in agony or fear while their body slowly fades,” she said while submitting the proposal in the Senate, as cited by Gaceta UNAM.

The initiative has received the endorsement of over 128,000 citizens through an online petition. Lawmakers from various political parties, including Claudia Anaya of the PRI and Luis Donaldo Colosio of the MC, expressed support for the measure, highlights ExpoMedHub. Others, such as MORENA legislator Reyna Ascencio, say that the proposal raises ethical and legal tensions between the right to life and the right to die with dignity.

Legal experts from UNAM say that Mexico recognizes only the “living will” — or advance directive — which allows patients to refuse life-prolonging treatments. Euthanasia and assisted suicide remain prohibited under federal law. The Ley Trasciende aims to modify this framework to decriminalize medically assisted death in specific cases, requiring patient consent and medical supervision.

The discussion takes place as other countries in Latin America and the European Union advance on similar legislation. Uruguay became the first Latin American nation to approve a euthanasia law in 2025, joining nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg. In Mexico, social attitudes appear favorable: surveys between 2016 and 2022 indicate that more than 70% of respondents support legal reforms to allow assisted death for terminally ill patients.

The proposal’s introduction also reignites public interest in the country’s Ley de Voluntad Anticipada (Law on Advance Directives), enacted in Mexico City in 2008 and now adopted in 14 states. This law allows patients to refuse medical interventions that artificially prolong life. Any adult may sign an advance directive before a notary public or through authorized health institutions, designating representatives and expressing preferences regarding end-of-life care and organ donation.

To sign before a notary, individuals must be of legal age, mentally competent, and accompanied by two witnesses. In health institutions, patients can complete a palliative care instruction form, validated by medical staff and witnesses. These procedures provide legal grounds for patients or their representatives to ensure that health providers comply with their wishes.

While the advance directive focuses on allowing natural death without excessive intervention, the Ley Trasciende seeks to go further by enabling active medical assistance to end life under strict safeguards. The initiative is expected to prompt continued legal, ethical, and medical discussions in Congress in the coming months, shaping Mexico’s broader approach to end-of-life rights.