Brugada calls for a debate on euthanasia

MEXICO CITY (apro) – The head of government, Clara Brugada, opened a new front in the capital's political agenda by calling for a public debate on euthanasia, an issue that has not yet been formally discussed in the Mexico City Congress, despite the fact that the local Constitution has recognized the right to a dignified death since 2017.

“In Mexico City, we have, at the constitutional level, the right to a dignified death, and I think it is time to build a debate among everyone in this great city on this issue,” the mayor said at a press conference from the Old City Hall.

Brugada alluded to the recent approval of a euthanasia law in Uruguay, and indicated that her government will seek to create the conditions for the issue to be discussed in the capital, so that, if there are sufficient agreements, progress can be made towards eventual local regulation.

Without secondary legislation

The proposal comes in a context where Mexico City has been a pioneer in the recognition of human rights, such as the legal interruption of pregnancy or same-sex marriage.

Even so, the discussion on euthanasia remains absent from the local legislative agenda, despite the fact that the Political Constitution of Mexico City, promulgated in 2017, in its Article 6, section C, number 3, recognizes the right of every person to a dignified death and obliges the authorities to guarantee it.

Although this principle is established in the local fundamental law, there is no secondary legislation regulating euthanasia or associated medical procedures.

Brugada argued that promoting this debate "would position Mexico City as a city of rights and freedoms," and insisted that it is an outstanding issue that must be addressed.