In a long-awaited win for animals, Colombia’s Congress voted overwhelmingly to ban bullfighting, international news reported.
The legislation is expected to be signed by President Gustavo Petro, who has been open about his disdain for the violent tradition.
“Congratulations to those who finally made death not a spectacle,” President Gustavo Petro wrote on social media.
The bill will make all bullfighting illegal in Colombia beginning in 2027. It also stipulates that anyone whose income was tied to bullfighting will have help finding more humane employment — demonstrating that the economy does not justify animal cruelty.
This win follows a long and difficult legislative battle. The city of Bogota made several attempts to ban the cruelty over the years, but the bloodsport could only be truly outlawed by Congress — because of a decision from the Constitutional Court in 2018 that bullfighting was a part of the country’s “culture.”
“The next generations will grow up in a country where culture will define things much more creatively than torturing animals for the amusement of a few insensitive people,” Juan Carlos Losada, a member of Congress, said about the win.
Bullfighting is bloody: Bulls are repeatedly stabbed until they give up the will to live in exhaustion and pain. The suffering of these sentient animals is not entertainment — it’s animal cruelty.
“We are prioritizing the welfare and defense of all animals,” Congressman Alejandro Garcia remarked after the vote. “To the whole world, we say Colombia is in a process of cultural transformation, where all beings retain dignity.”
Colombia will join other South American countries like Brazil, Chile, and Argentina in banning the violent sport. Seven countries still allow bullfighting — and the pressure is on for them to follow suit.
Lady Freethinker applauds Colombia’s Congress for passing this historic bill, as well as the animal rights activists who campaigned for years for this more compassionate future.
