MEXICO CITY — Activist Samara Martínez presented the Transcendence Law to Mexican lawmakers in 2025 to decriminalize euthanasia nationwide. The proposed legislation would remove the explicit ban on euthanasia and redefine it as a legal, voluntary medical procedure.

The 31-year-old activist, who has more than half a million social media followers, developed early signs of chronic kidney failure when she was 17. Her medical prognosis estimates she has about five years left to live. Martínez undergoes peritoneal dialysis every night, during which she is connected for hours to a piece of medical equipment about the size of a printer that she must carry wherever she goes.

The Transcendence Law was presented in 2025 by lawmakers from several political groups, including the Morena party. The proposed legislation frames euthanasia as a right tied to dignity and autonomy and argues that life should not be understood as an obligation to prolong suffering. If approved, the Transcendence Law would allow adults to request euthanasia. The proposal includes conscientious objection for health workers but requires public institutions to provide willing staff.

Mexican lawmakers are weighing possible policy changes regarding euthanasia. Ecuador decriminalized euthanasia in 2024, and Uruguay approved euthanasia legislation in 2025 that is expected to be implemented. Colombia is the only Latin American country where euthanasia is fully legal and regulated.

Patricia Mercado, a lawmaker supporting Martínez's proposal, said, "Samara's emergence — her struggle, her authenticity — brings the possibility of passing legislation closer." Mercado said, "A testimony speaks louder than a thousand data points."

According to her doctor in 2021, Martínez had two options: a kidney transplant or relying on treatments that take over the kidneys' role of removing waste and excess fluid from her body. "I thought I could never live connected to a machine," Martínez said. She said, "An illness like this isn't for everyone and it's hard to embrace the pain. You can stop living and just exist, but I don't want that."

Martínez has received abusive messages online because critics of her stance oppose her views. "I've been told that if God wants me to suffer, then I should suffer," Martínez said. Rodrigo Iván Cortés, president of a conservative advocacy group, said, "For us, the value of life spans every stage."

Martínez says that choosing how to die is the most courageous decision of her life. "When my father asked me why I had to fight for this, I told him that if I didn't do it, no one else would," Martínez said. She says she might not live to see the outcome of her fight but that pushing for change has already been worth it.

"I would not have taken up this fight unless I had to endure what I've had to, so I've found in it my purpose," Martínez said. She dreams of saying her farewells by the sea when her body gives out and wishes for a gathering to celebrate her life surrounded by family and friends. "That's what my life deserves. A proper time to say goodbye, to laugh and cry, and leave in peace," Martínez said.