Animal rights activists protest against bullfighting, in Plaza Bolívar, Bogotá, Colombia, May 7, 2024. Photo: Fernando Vergara/AP.
The Congress of Colombia approved a bill banning bullfighting throughout the country. With 93 votes in favor and only 2 against, this bill is a major breakthrough in the protection of animal rights, and marks the end of a questionable tradition that has been the subject of criticism for years.
The bill, approved by Congress on Tuesday, May 28, also prohibits the use of horses and steers as part of bullfighting, as well as all sorts of “cruel entertainment with animals.” As the bill was approved, congressmembers chanted “No more bullfighting!”, reflecting the satisfaction and relief of activists.
🚨 ¡Histórico! 🚨 #Colombia 🇨🇴 prohíbe las corridas de toros, novilladas y rejoneo 🎉. En último debate, la plenaria de la Cámara de Representantes aprobó el proyecto que prohíbe dichas prácticas.#NewsOnDemand pic.twitter.com/l5nbr58oS0
— News On Demand (@OnDemand_News) May 28, 2024
Senator Esmeralda Hernández of the ruling Historic Pact coalition and rapporteur of the bill in the Senate, expressed her joy on social media. “It is law of the republic! We made it, bullfighting is over in my Colombia. It is one of the happiest days in my life,” she wrote.
What comes next
The bill has been approved by the Congress, but still requires approval from the Senate, and then the draft approved in both houses will go through other adjustment processes.
Senator Esmeralda Hernández explained that the ban will not go into effect immediately, but that a three-year transition process will be established. That time will be sufficient to identify the families that depend on the bullfighting sector, and to facilitate their transition to other economic activities, such as commerce or tourism.
The minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Susana Muhamad, said that the approval of the bill is an “ethical advance” and congratulated the activists who have fought for this cause for more than a decade. “It is a significant achievement for the animal rights movement and a crucial step towards a more humane treatment of animals,” she stated.
Venezuelan Public Ministry Issues Statement Against Bullfighting
Colombian President Gustavo Petro is a known anti-bullfighting campaigner and defender of animal rights. Showing his support for the approval of the bill in Congress, he said that Colombia has “finally established that death is not a spectacle.”
In 2012, when Petro was mayor of Bogota, he banned the use of La Santamaria bullring for bullfights, openly showing his stance against these cruel practices.
Activists rejoice after the ban
The ban on bullfighting in Colombia is a milestone in the political and legislative history of the country. Bullfighting is still legal in several countries such as Spain, France, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, and Venezuela, although there are restrictions or partial bans against the practice in parts of these counties. While some have advanced in measures that protect the animals involved, bullfighting fairs are still celebrated in many places.
In Venezuela, despite many attempts by several organizations to achieve the definitive suspension of bullfighting, practiced in many states of the Venezuelan plains, only partial legal advances have been possible. The law against animal abuse approved in 2010 was a step forward as it includes bulls among the protected species. Currently, a new law for the protection of companion animals is being discussed, about which some animal rights activists have raised alarm since it does not include bulls (for obvious reasons.)
The latest decision of the Colombian Congress reflects a cultural and social shift in the perception of animal rights. As societies evolve, practices that were once accepted as traditions are now being questioned and re-evaluated with new ethics and sensibilities.
(Últimas Noticias) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
