March 21, 2025, 9:34 am | Read time: 3 minutes
At the beginning of the week, the Congress in Mexico City voted in favor of a ban on bullfights, which are considered “violent.” This introduces new rules that prohibit the killing of bulls inside and outside the arena as well as bodily harm to the animals with sharp objects.
Animal rights activists may find reason to be pleased with this decision, at least to some extent. On Tuesday, the Congress in Mexico City voted in favor of a ban on what were previously described as “violent” bullfights. New rules were passed in the process. In the future, animals may no longer be killed in bullfights in Mexico, neither in the arena nor outside. Additionally, injuring the bulls with sharp objects like swords or spears will be prohibited in the future. Both were usually part of such fights in the past. This bloody tradition has, therefore, been criticized for some time.
Bloody Bullfights Cannot Be Justified as Art or Tradition
The new law was passed with an overwhelming 61 votes in favor and just one against, taking effect immediately. This marks the beginning of a new era in which bulls are fully protected from cruelty in the arena for the first time. Unlike in the past, the animals may no longer be killed or injured.
Instead, the bulls’ horns are now to be padded to prevent injuries to other animals or humans. At the end of the event, the bulls will no longer be killed in the arena but returned to the farms from which they came. The bloody spectacle cannot be justified as art or tradition, explained Clara Brugada, the head of government in Mexico City.
Citizens’ Initiative Got the Ball Rolling
“Culture evolves, and we bear the responsibility to steer it towards greater animal welfare.” The politician may also be alluding to the fact that this change in the law is largely thanks to the population. A coalition of organizations had been able to collect over 27,000 signatures from citizens under the motto “México Sin Toreo.” With their signatures, they campaigned for the abolition of bullfighting, cockfighting, and other cruel practices.
This historic measure has effectively enshrined animal welfare as a fundamental concern within the Mexican constitution. Nevertheless, bullfighting could not be banned completely. Instead, a “non-violent” compromise was reached. Although this is a step in the right direction, it cannot be said that this type of bullfighting is necessarily free of suffering.
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The New Type of Bullfighting Is Still Associated with Animal Suffering
The bulls still have to endure the stress of a noisy bullring and are made to attack the matador’s red cape or “muleta.” However, they are no longer painfully killed or deliberately injured during the fights.
For some years now, bullfighting has been the subject of increasingly controversial debate throughout Mexico. Laws, legal proceedings, public criticism, and high-profile campaigns have led to unprecedented attention. In May 2022, for example, a federal administrative judge in Mexico City temporarily suspended bullfighting in the Plaza de Toros after an interest group filed a lawsuit. A month later, the judge suspended the practice permanently. In December 2023, however, the Mexican Supreme Court overturned this decision.
Last year, during the nine-day bullfighting season from January 18 to March 24, a total of 54 bulls were killed in Mexico City. It now remains to be seen whether other countries where bullfighting still takes place will follow Mexico’s example.1