Chilean Congress took a new step in decriminalization of euthanasia

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Tuesday, Chile took a historic step towards the decriminalization of euthanasia, after the Chamber of Deputies passed a bill that guarantees this right. The bill was sent to the Senate and, if it gets the green light, it would make the Andean country the 8th in the world to contemplate this possibility.

The initiative was presented by opposition legislators, and seeks to allow people with terminal and incurable diseases, very painful pathologies or diseases that cause psychological suffering to have access to the termination of their life if they so wish.

“What before was to force suffering will now be to offer the right to live with dignity,” said Liberal Party deputy Vlado Mirosevic during the debate, one of the bill’s authors.

Other similar bills had been presented in 2006 and 2011, but none had gone as far as the current proposal, which was introduced 6 years ago by a dozen opposition legislators and has progressively gained followers to the point of securing transversal support, including several right-wing deputies.

Despite the fact that Chile is considered one of the most conservative countries in Latin America, euthanasia enjoys a high level of citizen support. According to data published by the pollster Cadem, 72% of Chileans agreed with guaranteeing the possibility to citizens.

In addition, 77% of healthcare personnel were in favor of allowing the practice for patients in intolerable suffering or an incurable disease, according to a survey by the Medical Association (COLMED).

However, there are still conservative sectors that do not see euthanasia as a viable option. Among them is Evópoli’s (center-right) deputy Pablo Kast, who pointed out during the parliamentary debate that “those responsible for the existence of euthanasia should not be the laws” and that “one can not impose convictions on life or death.”

According to the current bill, this right will be non-delegable. That is to say, it can only be requested directly by the patient, and only those over 18 years of age will be able to do so. A controversial point was conscientious objection, which can be invoked by both the physician and the rest of the personnel involved in the procedure.

Should it become law, Chile would be the 8th country in the world to decriminalize euthanasia, and the 2nd in Latin America, a region with a conservative tradition in which this right is also making headway.

In Colombia it has been legal since 1997 by decision of the Constitutional Court (although the first procedure was not authorized until 2015) and Peru took a firm step last January with the case of Ana Estrada, a woman suffering from polymyositis who managed to gain access to assisted death through an unprecedented court ruling.

Euthanasia has also been legalized in Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada and New Zealand, where it will come into force in November.

Source: Infobae

More: Chile news in English, every day from The Rio Times.