Colombian congressman Luis Miguel López Aristizábal denounced that the Government intends to regulate euthanasia through a resolution of the Ministry of Health, despite the fact that Parliament has rejected all the projects that were presented to legalize this practice.
“Now what does not happen to Congress, they pass by resolution or by decree,” the legislator denounced during the plenary session of the House of Representatives of June 18.
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The congressman of the Democratic Center referred to the draft resolution that the Ministry of Health has published to regulate euthanasia and adaptation of therapeutic efforts, and that will be open to comments until June 27.
I exalt me and it hurts, because we don’t talk about figures, but about lives. Those of the most vulnerable.
From Congress we are analyzing all possible legal actions. The document will be available until June 27 for comments.
When life is at stake, the … pic.twitter.com/Bj8FG5NTDo
– Luis Miguel López Aristizábal (@Luismlopeza) June 18, 2025
In the draft, the Ministry indicates that with this new document the resolutions will be repealed 825 of 2018 y 971 of 2021which were published following the decisions of the Constitutional Court that decriminalized euthanasia in 1997 and subsequently expanded it to minors.
In his speech, Congressman López Aristizábal warned that this resolution would allow euthanasia in minors, even if they have cognitive disabilities, in cases of psychological suffering or treatable injuries, instead of strengthening palliative care according to the Law 1733 of 2014.
He also recalled that article 11 of the Constitution of Colombia establishes that “the right to life is inviolable” and that article 106 of the Criminal Code typifies the homicide by piety. “If the Government wants to legalize all this, to come to Congress to give the debate. But no more traps below rope,” López emphasized. “What is this Congress for then, if it is intended to legalize the death of our children without democratic discussion?”
Euthanasia is not legal in Colombia. In total, Congress has ruled out 17 projects to legalize it, the last rejection happened on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
The parliamentarian announced that his team will present formal comments to the project of resolution and indicated that legal actions and political control are announced.
“Colombia cannot allow a health model to be imposed that, instead of healing, eliminates the most vulnerable. We will continue to defend life without rest,” concluded Congressman López Aristizábal.
Eduardo Berdejo
Professional in Social Communication of the National University of San Marcos in Peru, I have more than 20 years of experience in Catholic digital journalism. As part of ACI Press, I have been sent to cover the trips of Pope Francis to Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and Peru, in addition to the Synod of Sinodality in the Vatican in 2023.