Dignified Death and Euthanasia in Colombia: Understanding the Criteria

The conversation about dignified death and euthanasia in Colombia has taken a significant turn in recent years due to some cases that have shocked the country. One such case is that of young Javier Acosta, who suffered a traffic accident over seven years ago that left him in a wheelchair for a while. He later contracted bacteria after swimming in a pool and was diagnosed with osteomyelitis and then blood cancer.

After constant fighting and ongoing treatment, experts declared that Acosta’s health was irreversible. The young man decided to have euthanasia, but what are the necessary criteria for the treatment?

The family’s lawyer, Jimmy Jiménez, from the company Integrity Legal, explains that a person trying to be a candidate for euthanasia in the country must meet four basic requirements:

1. Free, Informed, and Unequivocal Expression of Consent
2. Diagnosis of a Serious and Incurable Disease, according to Sentence C-233 of 2021.
3. Suffering Unbearable Pain that is incompatible with a decent life.
4. Euthanasia Must be Performed by a Medical Professional and authorized by the Scientific-Interdisciplinary Committee to Die with Dignity.

According to Jiménez and the Ministry of Health, any person over the age of 18 in a terminal phase who expresses to their doctor their intention to choose a dignified death through an early procedure has the right to do so. This right also extends to patients who are unconscious or unable to express their wishes if they have left a previous statement in an advance directive document. The procedure is covered by the General Health Social Security System, and the patient can withdraw at any time if they wish.