Peru's Ana Estrada dies by euthanasia after prolonged legal fight

A psychologist in South American country Peru became the first person in her country to die by euthanasia, her lawyer said on Monday (April 22). Ana Estrada, 47, was suffering from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and left her bedridden for several years.

Ana Estrada's fight for right to die with dignity

For several years, Estrada fought in the Peruvian courts for the right to die with dignity. She attained a celebrity status for her legal fight in a country where conservative strands of Christianity dominate the social fabric and thus death and dying of 'unnatural ways' remains a taboo. 

In 2022, Estrada was granted an exception by Peru's Supreme Court. The Peruvian top court upheld a ruling by a lower court that gave Estrada the right to decide when to end her life. The court, in added protection to Estrada's kin, said that those who helped her would not be punished. 

Estrada was the first person to obtain the right to die with medical assistance in Peru.

"Ana’s struggle for her right to die with dignity has helped to educate thousands of Peruvians about this right and the importance of defending it," her lawyer, Josefina Miró Quesada, said in a statement. “Her struggle transcended our nation’s borders.”

What was Ana Estrada suffering from?

Estrada was suffering from a disease called polymyositis that wastes away muscles. 

She began to present the first symptoms as a teenager and started to use a wheelchair at the age of 20 because she had lost the strength to walk.

Estrada studied to graduate with a psychology degree and became a therapist. 

She earned enough money to buy her own apartment and became independent from her parents.

By 2017, Estrada's medical condition worsened and she could no longer get up from her bed. 

She had difficulty breathing and survived pneumonia. Estrada could not type due to her medical condition. She used transcription software to produce a blog called "Ana for a death with dignity".

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With the help of Peru’s Human Rights Ombudsman, Estrada won a lawsuit that gave her the right to die with euthanasia. From her bed, she participated in court sessions through video conferences.

Estrada told Peruvian judges in 2022 that she valued life, and did not want to die immediately, but wanted to have the freedom to decide when to end her life.

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"I want to accede to euthanasia when I can no longer sustain suffering in life," she said. "And when I decide to bid farewell to my loved ones in peace and with tranquility."

A handful of countries, including Canada, Belgium and Spain, have legalised Euthanasia. 

Euthanasia is illegal in most Latin American countries except for Colombia, and Ecuador.

(With inputs from agencies)