María del Carmen Ludueña

María was a resident of the Moreno district in the province of Buenos Aires. She was 63 years old, a mother to one daughter, and a grandmother to two grandchildren. She raised her daughter virtually on her own, working tirelessly from the age of 16. At age 30, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. This incurable, progressive disease gradually affected all her joints, leaving her completely incapacitated and bedridden for the last seven years of her life. María relied on the assistance of others and lived with constant, unbearable pain throughout her body.

Given the absence of a euthanasia law in Argentina, María publicly requested access to medical assistance in dying and launched a legal battle to have her right to a dignified death recognized. Although the Supreme Court of Justice of Buenos Aires ordered a reconsideration of her petition, María passed away on January 18, 2026, without receiving a definitive judicial ruling. The delay in the legal proceedings—which dragged on for more than 14 months—prevented a just and timely resolution.