A Colombian health insurer has approved a request for euthanasia from María Consuelo Córdoba, a 58-year-old woman who has endured more than 26 years of severe health complications after surviving an acid attack in Bogotá. Her case drew widespread public attention after she spoke out about her ordeal, prompting a formal response from the insurer, known as Capital Salud, which operates within Colombia’s EPS system—the network of private and public entities that manage health coverage for citizens under the country’s national health plan.
Córdoba has undergone more than 80 surgeries to reconstruct her face and spent over three years in the hospital recovering from her injuries. Citing prolonged suffering, she formally requested the right to die with dignity through euthanasia, a procedure that has been legal in Colombia since a landmark 1997 constitutional court ruling, making it one of the few countries in Latin America where the practice is permitted under strict medical and legal guidelines.
Following extensive media coverage of her story, Capital Salud confirmed that it has already issued a letter authorizing the procedure, effectively granting Córdoba’s request. Her case also carries a poignant personal note: during Pope Francis’s historic 2017 visit to Colombia, she reportedly made a heartfelt promise to him, a detail that has resurfaced as her story has captured national attention.
To read the full story and more details, check out the original report from El Tiempo.
Source: EPS capital Salud respondió a solicitud de eutanasia de María Consuelo Córdoba, mujer víctima de ataque con ácido (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Shannon Warner.