The White House pressures Spain over Noelia Castillo's euthanasia, opening a new diplomatic front with Sánchez

The Trump Administration opened a new chapter of diplomatic tension with the Government of Spain over the death by euthanasia of Noelia Castillo, a 25-year-old whose story shocked Spanish public opinion and sparked a global debate on medication/injection-induced death.

An internal cable from the State Department, leaked Tuesday by the New York Post, orders the U.S. embassy in Madrid to investigate the circumstances under which Spanish authorities authorized and executed Castillo's assisted death. Spain's ABC news outlet confirmed the existence of the document through a source in the Administration itself.

The cable points, mainly, in two directions. On the one hand, it questions the police and judicial response to the sexual assaults that Castillo denounced and for which, according to the text, no criminal responsibility was detected. On the other, it calls into question the application of the Spanish euthanasia law, in force since 2021, pointing out that the young woman would have shown hesitation in her last hours without the procedure being stopped. Washington also requested information on the alleged attackers, including their origin and immigration status.

"We are deeply concerned by allegations that Ms. Castillo was repeatedly sexually assaulted while under state care and that no perpetrators have been brought to justice," the cable cited. "We are also aware of reports that Ms. Castillo expressed hesitancy to undergo euthanasia in her final hours, but that these indications were ignored. This case raises serious concerns about the application of Spain’s euthanasia law, particularly in cases involving psychiatric conditions and non-terminal suffering.”

The State Department instructed its diplomats to convey to the government of Pedro Sanchez, Washington's concern over what the cable describes as serious failures in the Spanish state's response. The deadline to do so is April 3.

Castillo died on March 26, after a long legal process driven by her father to stop euthanasia that culminated in the European Court of Human Rights' rejection of her last urgent appeals.

The episode adds to an increasingly deteriorating bilateral relationship. Spain vetoed the use of the Rota and Morón bases for operations linked to the Iran war and closed its airspace to U.S. military aircraft. Trump responded with repeated public criticism, which has been voiced since the beginning of his first term, especially over Spain's refusal to increase its defense spending. Now the White House is expanding the pressure on Madrid in a different area: human rights and migration policy.