Colombia Congress votes to ban bullfighting

Colombia's Congress passed a bill on Tuesday (May 28) banning bullfighting, a controversial and quite popular activity in the South American country.

Colombian lawmakers overwhelmingly passed the bill banning bullfighting startingin 2027.

President Gustavo Petro, a longtime opponent of the practice, praised their decision, emphasising his belief that animal cruelty shouldn't be entertainment.

The law would bring Colombia in line with other countries in the region that have banned bullfighting, including Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Guatemala.

The ban would require the government to introduce programmes to help the estimated tens of thousands of people who rely on bullfighting, directly or indirectly, for their income transition to new employment opportunities.

It would also have to adapt the country's arenas for other sporting and cultural activities.

Lawmaker and environmentalist Juan Carlos Losada called the move a historical milestone.

Notably, in 2018, the Constitutional Court recognised bullfights as part of Colombia's cultural tradition.

But Bogota, the capital and a historic centre for bullfighting in the Americas, had already banned the harming and killing of bulls, effectively neutering the core violence of the spectacle and aiming to phase it out entirely.

A symbol of identity

The city of Medellin has also imposed limitations, but bullfighting remains popular in cities like Cali and Manizales.

Lawmakers supporting the ban argued that bullfighting represents one of the most controversial elements of Spanish colonialism, while the practice is against constitutional rights to a healthy environment, human dignity and the recognition of animals as sentient beings due protection.

The parliamentary vote came after a public debate that included local leaders, representatives from the cattle industry, bullfighting organisers, and representatives from animal rights groups.

According to the bullfighter, there are approximately 300 events held annually at around 70 locations in Colombia.

(With inputs from agencies)