Mexico City lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to ban violent bullfighting, a decision that was met with both outrage from aficionados and celebration from animal rights advocates. The legislation, passed by a 61-1 vote, prohibits the killing of bulls and the use of sharp objects that could harm the animals. It also introduces time limits for how long bulls can be in the ring as part of an initiative called “bullfighting without violence.” The move led to protests from bullfighting supporters and matadors, with some attempting to breach a police barricade at the local Congress. On the other hand, animal rights activists and Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada praised the decision, emphasizing that it will establish the Mexican capital as a place that respects animal rights and opposes their mistreatment. The vote aimed to find a middle ground between conflicting viewpoints after years of debate over the controversial practice. Bullfighting, a long-standing tradition in Latin America, has faced scrutiny for its cruelty towards animals, as bulls are typically killed at the end of fights. Animal rights groups estimate that around 180,000 bulls are killed annually in bullfighting worldwide. This tradition, which historically drew large crowds to Mexican arenas, suffered a setback when a judge in Mexico City prohibited bullfighting in June 2022, closing down what was claimed to be the world’s largest bullfighting ring. The ruling was based on residents’ rights to a violence-free environment. Although animal rights advocates welcomed the ban as a step towards ending the brutal tradition, bullfighters argued that it had negative economic implications for the city. The National Association of Breeders of Fighting Bulls in Mexico stated that bullfighting supports 80,000 direct jobs and 146,000 indirect jobs in the country. In 2023, Mexico’s Supreme Court overturned the ban without providing a rationale, leading to a resurgence of bullfighting events in arenas, attracting fans of the “fiesta brava” once again.
