Madrid, Spain, Jul 24, 2007 / 02:06 pm (CNA).- The director of Fundacion Vida in Spain, Manuel Cruz, criticized the members of the Socialist Youth of Spain for promoting the legalization of euthanasia, saying the move is a sign of “the level of corruption in this political organization and a terrible symptom of the state of society, especially if this proposal is accepted without any kind of debate or discussion or alternatives.”

Cruz’s comments came in the wake of the Socialist Youth’s annual gathering.  “The most troubling fact is that the legalization of euthanasia, which is an act that always kills a person with or without his consent, is included in their project,” he said.

Cruz noted that euthanasia goes against the first and fundamental right which is the right to life and that to present euthanasia as a “sign of solidarity” is a deception.  “It’s something criminal that, if done at the request of the victim, is a ‘homicide-suicide’. In any case, it constitutes grave harm for all of society” 

“What do these young people think they will do with their parents and grandparents in a few years?” Cruz asked, noting that at the same time that they are proposing getting rid of the sick and the elderly, advances in palliative care have been made to make the process of dying as dignified as possible.  In supporting euthanasia, “the Socialist Youth are ‘not in the game’ in the area of healthcare,” he said.

At their congress, the Socialist Youth also proposed lowering the voting age to 16, legalizing prostitution and modifying the accords with the Holy See among other proposals.

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