The Congress of Mexico City will decide whether it bans bullfighting after a commission approved a draft bill prohibiting it.
On December 7, the Animal welfare commission of Mexico City Congress approved a dictum to modify the Animal Protection Law in order to ban bullfighting. Mexico City is considered one of the world capitals of bullfighting.
The commission approved the initiative to reform the legislation about bullfighting with 5 votes in favor and 0 against. Four members were absent. The new legislation would prohibit performing shows where bulls are abused, tortured or get deprived of their life.
The initiative was presented by six of the seven political parties that have representation in Congress, El Pais reports. Morena, the ruling party of Mexico and Mexico City, didn’t participate in the commission. They occupy 48% of the seats at the Congress of Mexico City.
The draft bill then needs to be voted on in a plenary session in Congress. The commission has 45 days to introduce the bill in Congress. The members of the commission who approved the initiative are confident the bill will pass.
But before that, the Animal welfare commission will meet with the bullfighting industry to find solutions and financial support for families and companies who would be economically affected by the ban.
The Mexican bullfighting association expressed concern about the initiative promoted at Mexico City Congress. It considers bullfighting “a cultural and popular activity rooted in our society for almost 500 years, which gathers more than four million people every year.”
The state of Sinaloa banned bullfighting in February 2021
In October, the Plaza de toros Monumental de México, the world’s largest bullring, hosted the Corrida de las Luces in front of 19,000 people opening the bullfight season after almost two years of inactivity due to the Covid-19 pandemic. La Monumental also hosts sports events or concerts.
For the organization, bullfighting brought 6.9 billion pesos to the Mexican economy in 2019 (US $330 million), created 80,000 direct jobs and indirectly employed 146,000 people.
“We are sensitive to the economic situation, but we are also sensitive to what we want: Change in Mexico City. It means avoiding any type of abuse that leads to the death of living beings,” explained Jesús Sesma, a member of the Animal welfare commission.
The law would also include a fine that could go up to 4.9 million pesos a day (US $234,000).
Earlier this year, the state of Sinaloa ended bullfighting and dogfights. Four other states banned bullfighting in the last decade. On the other hand, six other states introduced bullfighting as a cultural heritage.
Between 1916 and 1920, bullfighting was forbidden in Mexico City but the ban ended because it was not respected as clandestine events were held.
Mexico still allows the activity at the national level.
