A Peruvian psychologist with an incurable disease that left her bedridden for years has died by euthanasia, her lawyer confirmed on Monday.
Ana Estrada, who fought a lengthy legal battle in Peru for the right to choose to die, passed away with medical assistance, marking a historic moment in a country where euthanasia and assisted suicide are prohibited.
In 2022, the Peruvian Supreme Court granted Estrada an exception, upholding a lower court’s ruling that allowed her to decide the timing of her death without legal repercussions for those assisting her. This decision made her the first person in Peru to exercise the right to die with medical support.
Her lawyer, Josefina Miró Quesada, noted that Ana’s advocacy for the right to die with dignity had raised awareness across Peru and beyond its borders.
Estrada, aged 47, suffered from polymyositis, a degenerative muscle condition that had progressed since her teenage years, eventually confining her to a wheelchair at 20.
Despite her illness, she pursued a psychology degree, achieved independence, and maintained a blog advocating for euthanasia after her condition deteriorated further in 2017.
Using transcription software, Ana documented her struggles and decision to seek euthanasia, emphasizing that her quality of life had drastically declined.
Through legal support from Peru’s Human Rights Ombudsman, she successfully obtained the right to euthanasia, participating in court proceedings remotely from her bed.
In 2022, Ana expressed her desire for autonomy over her end-of-life decisions, stressing that she valued life but wanted the freedom to end her suffering when it became unbearable.
Euthanasia remains illegal in most Latin American countries, with exceptions in Colombia (since 2015) and Ecuador (decriminalized in 2022).
Ana’s case has sparked discussions about end-of-life rights in Peru, where this issue has historically been contentious.
