Colombia expands euthanasia to minors and non-terminal patients, including mental illness cases, triggering strong political and ethical backlash
Newsroom (04/05/2026 Gaudium Press) Colombia’s Ministry of Health has expanded the scope of euthanasia to include minors and individuals with non-terminal conditions, a move that has ignited sharp criticism from pro-life legislators who describe it as a “moral defeat of the nation.”
The policy change, outlined in Resolution 0813-2026 dated April 28, broadens eligibility criteria to include patients with a “serious and incurable disease,” including those whose condition originates from a mental illness or disorder. It also allows individuals with “bodily injury” involving the loss of one or more organ systems due to external causes to request euthanasia.
Although Colombia does not have a formal law regulating euthanasia, the practice has been governed through administrative measures based on Constitutional Court rulings that decriminalized it in 1997. Successive governments have relied on these rulings to shape policy.
A particularly contentious aspect of the new resolution is its extension to minors. The government states that individuals aged 12 and older may request euthanasia. Additionally, children between 6 and 12 years old may qualify if they demonstrate “exceptional neurocognitive and psychological development,” enabling them to make a “free, voluntary, informed and unequivocal” medical decision, and possess an understanding of death comparable to that of a child aged 12 or older.
The announcement has drawn strong opposition from conservative lawmakers. Senator Mauricio Giraldo accused President Gustavo Petro’s administration of overreach, stating, “The Petro government is deciding who lives and who dies (…). We will do everything in our power in the courts, in the streets, and in Congress. We will continue this battle.”
Giraldo also criticized the administration for what he described as a contradiction, noting that a government that calls itself “the government of life” has authorized measures that “allow the killing of children.”
Representative Luis Miguel López echoed these concerns, arguing that the government is imposing policies “by decree” that could not gain approval in Congress. He warned that such measures are “destroying” Colombian society and described euthanasia, along with abortion and gender-related policies, as “the moral defeat of a nation.”
Both legislators framed the issue as a central topic for upcoming presidential elections. López called on religious voters to support candidates who would repeal the measures, warning that failure to do so would lead the country “into an abyss even worse than the one we are already experiencing.”
Critics also expressed alarm over the inclusion of individuals with disabilities and mental health conditions, arguing that the policy places vulnerable populations at increased risk.
Despite the backlash, the Ministry’s resolution marks a significant expansion of euthanasia access in Colombia, intensifying ethical, legal, and political debates across the country.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Prensa
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