Horacio Beamonte chooses orthotanasia following leukemia diagnosis

Mexican actor Horacio Beamonte, known for roles in productions such as ‘La Rosa de Guadalupe’ and ‘Imperio de mentiras’, has announced his decision to pursue orthotanasia following a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia with the Philadelphia chromosome.

Beamonte, 54, has faced complications from the aggressive blood cancer for over a year, including the disease spreading to his brain and causing the loss of vision in one eye. He has opted to forgo treatments such as chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants in favor of palliative care to manage pain and maintain quality of life.

On August 6, Beamonte visited the Pain and Palliative Care Clinic at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán in Mexico City. There, he formalized his wishes by signing an Advance Directive and a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order. He clarified that his choice of orthotanasia—allowing the natural course of the disease to conclude while managing symptoms—is distinct from euthanasia, which is not permitted under Mexican law.