Fighting for Dignity: How One Woman's Terminal Illness Journey Is Changing Mexico's Euthanasia Laws

In Mexico, a courageous 30-year-old woman named Samara Martinez is leading a groundbreaking campaign for the legalization of euthanasia while battling multiple chronic and degenerative illnesses.

Martinez, who suffers from kidney failure and spends 10 hours daily connected to a dialysis machine, has become a powerful advocate for death with dignity through her social media platforms.

Addressing her nearly 400,000 TikTok followers, Martinez poses thought-provoking questions about end-of-life choices. "Instead of seeking euthanasia, why don't I just unplug the machine and say goodbye?" she asks before explaining her perspective: "Because I do not want to suffer and I want to die with dignity."

Despite the gravity of her subject matter, Martinez approaches her advocacy with remarkable vigor and creativity. Her social media presence helps her "stay alive" while functioning as a platform for meaningful social change.

After experiencing two unsuccessful kidney transplants and facing no prospects for recovery, Martinez launched her campaign in August, boldly declaring, "I am going to be the person who legalizes euthanasia in Mexico." She believes her position as a patient gives this effort unique credibility compared to previous attempts.

This campaign emerges as Latin America sees gradual movement on euthanasia rights. Uruguay recently became the first country in the region to decriminalize the practice through legislation, while Colombia and Ecuador established similar rights through court decisions in 1997 and 2024, respectively.

Martinez's decision to advocate for euthanasia followed deep personal reflection. After more than a decade fighting for her health, she consulted her parents, who offered their support. "I am doing it for myself, and for the respect I have for my body, and because I love myself so much. That is what is behind all this," she explains.

With remarkable composure, Martinez clarifies that her choice is not about surrender: "It is not that I gave up. Rather, I have unblocked that part of understanding which says death is not an enemy, that it is not pain. Death is a sister, a friend, and one embraces it."

As a tenured university professor in Chihuahua, Martinez thoughtfully analyzes her current options. She acknowledges that refusing dialysis would result in death within 15 days but would cause tremendous suffering: "You can drown in your own liquids. It is a very undignified death."

Martinez identifies two existing alternatives: passive euthanasia through treatment withdrawal or utilizing Mexico's law permitting sound-minded individuals to refuse life-prolonging interventions in favor of palliative care.

This week, Martinez will present a legislative proposal to the Mexican Senate advocating for full euthanasia rights, allowing individuals to choose when to die without unnecessary suffering. The bill would subsequently require approval from the lower chamber of congress.

"It is high time we stopped penalizing compassion," Martinez asserts. Her petition supporting the initiative has already gathered 118,000 signatures as she works to persuade lawmakers.

When envisioning her own eventual passing, Martinez describes a peaceful seaside ceremony at sunset: "A celebration of life with my family, surrounded by people I love and who love me, and going peacefully, with no pain."