Euthanasia decriminalized in Ecuador

The Constitutional Court announced its ruling regarding a lawsuit filed by a woman with ALS, who argued that those suffering from serious or incurable diseases should be "allowed to die with dignity."

Evaluating the matter as being related to the "right to a dignified life," the Constitutional Court ruled that euthanasia can be performed for patients experiencing intense suffering due to irreversible physical injury or an incurable disease.

The Constitutional Court granted parliament members and health authorities 12 months to make the necessary legal arrangements.

42-year-old Paola Roldan, who filed the lawsuit, stated in her remarks to the press following the decision that today was a special day for her, and thanked the Constitutional Court for "taking a stance in favor of freedom and dignity."

Roldan, who began showing symptoms of ALS in 2020, had applied to the Constitutional Court in August 2023, arguing that those suffering from serious or incurable diseases deserve a "dignified death" and that they should be "allowed to end their lives freely and voluntarily" to stop this suffering.