Legislators in Mexico City, home to the world’s largest bullring, voted Tuesday to ban bullfights where the animals are killed or wounded, following rival protests from opponents and supporters.
The initiative, which was promoted by the capital city’s mayor Clara Brugada, aims to move toward “violence-free” bullfighting events.
The Mexican capital cannot allow “cruelty as a spectacle, much less the long pain and death of an animal for entertainment,” Brugada said last week.
The ban was approved by 61 votes in favor and one against, the Mexico City legislature announced.
Bullfighting promoters opposed the move, saying it threatens a deeply rooted cultural tradition.
Mexico City is a bastion of bullfighting, and at its heart sits the Plaza de Toros, which has a capacity of more than 40,000 people.
But the capital is also considered a progressive stronghold, and there have been years of legal battles between bullfighting supporters and animal rights activists, who welcomed the ban on wounding the animals.
Anton Aguilar, executive director of Humane World for Animals Mexico, called it “an important step toward eradicating the torment and killing of animals for entertainment.”
At the same time, “it’s important also to acknowledge that a bull event without violence does not mean one without suffering, as bulls will still be subjected to significant and completely unnecessary stress,” he added.
Several of Mexico’s 32 states have banned bullfighting, which was brought by the Spanish conquistadors centuries ago.
