Progress! Mexico City Bans “Violent” Bullfights
The reforms will outlaw the killing or physical injury of bulls inside or outside the ring, in what is being seen as an “important” step towards ending the abuse of animals for human entertainment.
Mexico City has banned “violence” at bullfights in what is being seen as an important step towards ending the torture and killing of animals for human entertainment.
Under the new legislation, the ban on so-called “violent bullfights” will allow bullfights to continue to take place but under new rules that outlaw the killing or injuring of bulls inside or outside the ring.
Matadors will therefore no longer be able to stab animals with sharp objects like swords or spears, and bulls must be returned to the ranches from which they came after all events.
As part of the reforms, bulls will also for the first time receive full legal protection from abuse, with the animals previously being exempt from animal protection law.
The new law was proposed after a citizens’ petition against bullfighting received nearly 30,000 signatures. It received widespread support in Mexico City’s Congress, with the reforms being voted through last week by 61 votes in favor and 1 against. Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, also spoke in support of the initiative.
The reforms have been welcomed by animal welfare groups, who say the ban represents positive progress in the campaign against bullfighting.
“Although this is not a complete ban on bullfighting in Mexico City, it represents an important step toward eradicating the torment and killing of animals for entertainment and a stronger commitment to compassion in our society,” said Anton Aguilar, executive director of Humane World for Animals Mexico.
While “cautiously” welcoming the ban, Aguilar said it's important to point out that a bull event without violence does not mean one without suffering. The bulls will still be subjected to “significant” and “unnecessary” stress as part of the new violence-free bullfights, he says, including from being transported, entering a noisy bullring, and being goaded to charge the matador’s red cape.
The blood sport has been the centre of a political battle in Mexico City for many years. In 2022, a judge outlawed bullfighting on the basis that bullfights violated resident’s rights to a healthy environment free from violence. No fights took place for over a year, but then the ruling was overturned by Mexico’s Supreme Court in 2023 and bullfighting has since resumed. During Mexico City’s nine-day bullfight season of 2024, 54 bulls were killed.
Bullfighting around the world
It is estimated that around 180,000 bulls are killed in bullfights each year. Steady progress on phasing out the blood sport has led to bans in many countries, including Argentina, Italy, and Brazil.
Alongside Mexico, only seven other countries still actively practise bullfights, including Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Portugal, Spain, France, and Columbia.
However, Columbia last year became the latest country to announce a ban on bullfighting, which will come into effect by 2027. The delay period will give those in the industry three years to transition into other work, along with time for the country’s current bullrings to be converted into spaces for other cultural and sporting events.
In Spain, while bullfighting is currently legal, the industry is facing pressure as some Spanish cities including Calonge, Vilamacolum, and La Vajol have implemented their own city-wide bans.
Help keep up this momentum against bullfighting: take action now and join Species Unite in urging the Spanish Prime Minister to ban bullfighting in Spain. Add your name to the petition here.
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