Euthanasia in Mexico

Legislation on euthanasia in Mexico distinguishes between passive and active euthanasia. Since January 7, 2008, the law allows the terminally ill —or closest relatives, if unconscious— to refuse medication or further medical treatment that may extend life (known as passive euthanasia) in Mexico City, in the state of Aguascalientes (since April 6, 2009) and, since September 1, 2009, in the state of Michoacán. As of 2024, similar “leyes de Voluntad Anticipada” (advance directive laws) are in force in 14 Mexican states.

While the exact procedure may vary, the regional laws dealing with living wills —usually called leyes de Voluntad Anticipada— generally require a notary public to witness the instructions left by the patient.

As for active euthanasia, the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) have introduced bills to decriminalize it in both the Senate (2007) and the Legislative Assembly of the Federal District (2009), but have failed to change the Article 166 bis 21 of the General Health Law, which still defines euthanasia as mercy homicide. The Federal Penal Code continues to criminalize medically assisted death, with penalties of 1 to 12 years in prison, and no jurisdiction in Mexico currently permits active euthanasia. In 2023, new federal bills were introduced to allow assisted dying under strict conditions, but none have been enacted. In addition, as of December 2010, 18 out of 31 states have modified their constitution under pressure from the dominant Catholic Church to protect the right to life "from the moment of conception until natural death", effectively discarding any initiative contemplating active euthanasia within state borders. By 2025, at least 19 states have adopted such amendments.