Mexico has decided that bullfights are without blood. Spain already tried it in the Balearic Islands and did not go well

In 2022 there were A first conato. In Mexico, a nation whose strong tradition to bullfights is equated with Spain, “the holidays” were prohibited. However, the Supreme Court revoked the suspension and returned. Solution? In an unprecedented event in La Nación, Mexico City has decided that there will be no blood in the runs. In Spain similar initiatives have been carried out, although with discouraging results.

End to deaths. As we said, in a historical decision, the Congress of Mexico City approved by an overwhelming majority of 61 votes to 1 the prohibition of traditional bullfights, eliminating the possibility of hurting or killing To bulls during these events. The legislation, promoted by legislator Xóchitl Bravo Espinosa and backed by the Head of Government Claudia Sheinbaumwill allow the realization of runs without violence or blood, in which they will only be used CAPOTES AND WITHOUT STAQUES No flags.

The prohibition marks a milestone in the city with the largest bullring on the planet, The Plaza Méxicowith capacity for 42,000 spectators and epicenter of a tradition with almost 500 years of history in the country. Of course, the bullfighting sector has reacted with indignation, announcing legal challenges and protests against the measure.

An intermediate measure. Unlike a total prohibition, the reform will allow a version of bullfighting in which bullfighters can only use the cape and the red crutch, with a maximum duration of 15 minutes per bull and a limit of six bulls per event. According to Bravo Espinosa, this measure seeks balance animal welfare With the economic protection of those who depend on the industry, such as sellers, bull breeders and employees of the squares.

The problem? That the defenders of bullfighting consider that the new regulation completely distorts the essence of tradition. The Plaza México described the reform as “A clear threat to one of the most entrenched cultural traditions in the country”, while bullfighting groups have declared that they will legally fight to reverse the prohibition.

Context of a battle. The truth is that the prohibition in Mexico City is the most recent chapter of a battle that has been gaining ground in different parts of the country. Since 2013, Five of the 31 states of Mexico They have banned bullfights, reflecting the growing rejection of bullfighting.

As We explainin 2022 a federal judge He suspended the runs in the capital after a demand from a group of human rights. However, the Supreme Court He revoked the suspension and allowed him Return of events In January 2024. Now, with the new legislation, traditional runs are officially eliminated in Mexico City, although bullfighting industry continues to seek legal mechanisms to challenge the measure.

A cultural shock. The debate on bullfight has transcended the legal scope and has become A symbol of tension between respect for traditions and the evolution of social values ​​around Animal rights. While the defenders argue that bullfighting generates tens of thousands of jobs and that the number of bulls sacrificed is insignificant compared to livestock in general, opponents have denounced the brutality of the show.

According to data from the Congress of Mexico City, in 2019 there were 168 bulls sacrificed in Plaza México, which activists consider a sample of unnecessary suffering inflicted on animals. The group Animal heroeswhich for six years leads the Mexico campaign without bullfights, celebrated the reform, but warned that they will continue to fight for the total abolition of bullfighting in the country.

For his part, Salvador Arias, a Mexican bullfighting lawyer, said that a similar model already had failed in Spain In the Balearic Islands, where the lack of interest led to its disappearance and, shortly after, to its revocation by the Spanish courts.

The case of Balearic Islands. What happened in Spain dates back to 2017, when the Balearic Parliament approved a law that prohibited the death and suffering of bulls in runs, establishing what was called “Cumshots without blood”. This regulation required that the bulls were not subjected to physical damage and that the runs would be limited to 10 minutes per animal, without the possibility of using flags, estas or swords.

The measure was held by the defenders of animal rights, but caused The rejection of the bullfighting sector and led to an intense debate about the viability of the show without its traditional component.

The sentence. In December 2018, the Constitutional Court of Spain annulled the lawarguing that he invaded state powers on cultural heritage, since bullfighting had been declared in 2013 as part of the country’s intangible cultural heritage. With that decision, the traditional runs with death of the bull again in the Balearic Islands in 2019, although with additional restrictions imposed by the regional regulations, such as the prohibition of the entry of minors to the Celebrations.

The Judgment of the Constitutional Court It was a setback for the anti -urine movement in Spain and evidenced the legal difficulties to prohibit bullfighting at the autonomous level without a major legislative reform.

Extinction or transformation. Thus, the Government of Mexico City will have a period of seven months To issue the final regulation on runs without violence, including the participation of all parties involved. Mayor Clara Brugada He celebrated the decision and described it as a great advance in animal protection.

Although the prohibition has already been approved, the future of bullfighting in Mexico remains in dispute. Bullfighting and fans have warned that they will continue to fight in court to reverse the measure, while activists continue to press for Total eradication of runs in the country.

What seems clear is that the resolution in the Mexican capital could be the trigger for other states to follow the same path, marking an irreversible change in a tradition that has defined the cultural identity of the country for centuries. That without having the great unknown: knowing if the public will accept this new form of bullfighting without blood or if, as in Spain, the option does not work out.

Image | Christian Ramiro, Jorge Andrade

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