Bioethics and Human Rights in a latin American perspective

Abstract

Although they start from the same historical context and share central fundamental concerns related to the protection of the human person, the interface between bioethics and human rights is still undergoing a slow consolidation process. This article presents a historical and conceptual analysis of this interface from a Latin American perspective of bioethics. It presents two themes that exemplify the complexity – and potential – of this approach: education in bioethics and the promotion of patients' rights. Without ignoring the ethical and political divergences that permeate the discussion, the work concludes for the need to deepen this approach as a way to make effective the main tasks that gave rise to the two fields: Bioethics and Human Rights, taking into account the historical context of the region.