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Assisted Dying in Cuba 
A look at the legal status of voluntary assisted dying in Cuba.
Status: Legal
In December 2023, Cuba’s National Assembly of People’s Power officially recognized the right to a “dignified death.”
Scope: Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide
This legislation allows for both active euthanasia and assisted suicide, making Cuba the second country in the region to decriminalize the practice.
Scope: Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide
Cuban citizens and foreign residents with permanent residency status. There is no legal mechanism for foreigners to travel to Cuba solely for the purpose of accessing assisted dying.
Summary
In a historic move for the Caribbean and Latin America, Cuba officially recognized the right to a “dignified death” in December 2023. This legislation, integrated into the country’s updated public health framework, allows for both active euthanasia and assisted suicide, making Cuba the second country in the region to decriminalize the practice.
History and Legislation
Legal Timeline
In December 2023, Cuba’s National Assembly of People’s Power unanimously approved a new Public Health Law (Ley de Salud Pública), which updated legislation dating back to 1983. The law explicitly recognizes the right of individuals to access a “dignified death” (muerte digna) through end-of-life decisions, which can include the limitation of therapeutic effort, palliative care, and “valid procedures that end life.”
This move makes Cuba the second country in Latin America, after Colombia, to legalize euthanasia. The inclusion of this right was part of a broader overhaul of the nation’s universal healthcare system and followed discussions initiated during the 2022 Family Code updates.
Mechanism and Implementation While the Public Health Law establishes the legal right to assisted dying, the specific clinical protocols and regulations are administered by the Ministry of Public Health (Ministerio de Salud Pública – MINSAP).
The law frames the practice within the bioethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, and justice, focusing on patients with:
- Chronic, degenerative, and irreversible diseases.
- Intractable suffering.
- Agony or terminal phases of life.
The legislation distinguishes between “therapeutic limitation” (stopping treatment) and “valid procedures to end life” (active euthanasia or assisted suicide), permitting both under strict medical supervision within the state-run healthcare network.
Current Status The law is currently in force, with the Ministry of Public Health tasked with finalising the granular regulations that guide medical professionals in the application of the procedure. Unlike many other jurisdictions where court rulings forced legislative change, Cuba’s legalization came through direct parliamentary action as a government-sponsored bill.
January 2026 update. The Cuban Government published in the Official Gazette the new Public Health law, which recognises the right to a dignified death and defines the assumptions for applying euthanasia, although it postponed its application until a specific regulation is approved to regulate it.
Cuba Quietly Authorizes Euthanasia (Reuters)
Who is Eligible?
Who is Eligible?
Access to assisted dying in Cuba is governed by the 2023 Public Health Law, which integrates the practice into the nation’s free, universal healthcare system. Consequently, eligibility is restricted to those entitled to coverage under this national system.
Voluntary Request: The request must be a free, informed, and unequivocal expression of the patient’s will.
Residency Requirement: The law applies to Cuban citizens and foreign residents with permanent residency status. Because the procedure is administered as a public health service, it is not available to tourists or temporary visitors.
Medical Criteria: Patients must be diagnosed with a chronic, degenerative, and irreversible disease or be in the terminal phase of life (agony).
Suffering: The individual must be experiencing intractable physical or psychological suffering that cannot be alleviated.
Members
Our South American Member Organisations
We currently have 63 are members of the World Federation.
latest news
The latest news from our members and from around the world
Our members produce helpful factsheets and newsletters. The Federation is always happy to share other sources of information in favour of our joint mission to advance assisted dying around the world.
