Fernando Sureda

He was the first Uruguayan to publicly advocate for euthanasia in his country.

Fernando Sureda was an executive at the Uruguayan Football Association. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2018, although the first symptoms had appeared in 2016. With his family's support, he spearheaded the fight to legalize euthanasia in Uruguay, hoping to be the first person to access the procedure.

Fernando’s story inspired Colorado Party lawmaker Ope Pasquet to introduce a bill in 2020; while it passed the lower House in 2022, it stalled in the Senate. During the pandemic, Fernando connected with Enric Benito, a Spanish palliative care physician, and the two held Zoom conversations about life, pain, and death. These exchanges were recorded for the documentary "Hay una puerta ahí" (There Is a Door There), released in 2021—a year after Fernando passed away while receiving palliative care.

Although Fernando did not live to see the progress of the euthanasia bill, his testimony was instrumental in sparking the public debate surrounding the issue.