Abstract

QUINTERO SILVERIO, Odalys  and  RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ, Jorge Félix. Legal implications for the debate on euthanasia in Cuba. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2015, vol.41, n.3, pp. 547-565. ISSN 0864-3466.

This paper analyzed the concept of euthanasia throughout the development of the mankind, its insertion into bioethics as a new piece of knowledge and its entry into the Cuban reality, in contrast to the medical practice. It was aimed at analyzing from an integrated perspective the legal consequences of the debate on euthanasia behaviors in Cuba. To this end, the paper firstly took into account the study of those who dealt with this topic in the various phases of the human development, from positions such as that of Hippocrates with his millennial oath for health professionals through that of Sartre based on the cult to liberty and those of the latest authors who are exponents of the world of bioethics. This paper demonstrated the epistemological needs of some sectors associated to this topic, and a conceptual proposal was made for the assumption of ethical and legal positions on euthanasia from the law and the bioethical approaches in Cuba. It also suggested some technological and normative changes that will support the adopted position. The paper specified the transversality of the issue, the likely actors that may involve in the demanded change, and predicted some ways of acting. The Cuban legal code does not provide a response in every sense to the breaching content of the analyzed euthanasic behaviors, that is the reason why a reform is required to cover the assessing content of the various forms of euthanasia and to comply with the principle of legality, which will contribute to a great extent to the legal security.

Keywords : euthanasia; dysthanasia; orthotanasia; active euthanasia; passive euthanasia; death; suicide; homicide.

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