Paola Roldán

Paola Roldán Espinosa (12 April 1981 – 11 March 2024) was an Ecuadorian businesswoman and philanthropist, known for having achieved the decriminalization of euthanasia in Ecuador, after suffering from ALS.

Biography
Roldán had a master's degree in International Affairs from Columbia University in New York, according to Senescyt records.

On her Instagram account she defined herself as a “lover of exploring the internal and external worlds”, a writer and “activist for a dignified life and death.”

Disease
Roldán since the end of 2022, suffered from ALS, a self-degenerative disease that left her bedridden, and which required medical care, who constantly monitored her.

Fight for the decriminalisation of euthanasia
In Ecuador, a deeply religious country, Roldán opened a broad debate between those who defend life despite the pain of an incurable disease and those who believe that patients with a fatal diagnosis can make a decision about whether or not to continue their life.

At the beginning of January, Roldán responded in writing to some questions from CNN through her legal team. Ella Roldán insisted on her urgent desire to legalize euthanasia in the country.

“My particular case is pressing, given the progression of ALS and the possibility that my ability to communicate will be limited in the short term. The day I cannot express my will or am not allowed to decide when to end my life, I would stop exercising my freedom, I would lose my dignity. You cannot have a dignified life without a dignified death,” Roldán emphasized to CNN.

Death and legacy
Roldán died on 11 March 2024, after almost two years of illness, which has also inspired organizations and patients throughout Latin America. She was 42.

At the end of the messages she asked citizens for “more humility and less judgment.”

"“My greatest desire is to leave my son a more supportive, compassionate, loving and collaborative world. I feel that this is the best way to protect him, and I will continue trying until my last breath,”" Paola posted.

With her death and this decision, Ecuador joins other countries such as Colombia, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Canada, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand and five Australian states that have decriminalised euthanasia.