Lawmakers in Mexico City altered the course of bullfighting history by voting overwhelmingly Tuesday to prohibit the killing of bulls and the use of swords or other sharp objects that could injure them.
The legislation, approved by a 61-1 vote, effectively transforms the spectacle into “violence-free bullfighting” or “bloodless bullfighting” — though the new law applies only in Mexico City, at the site of Plaza México, the world’s largest bullring.
“Today we take a step toward a new relationship with animals — one where coexistence is not based on domination but on respect,” Daniela Álvarez, president of the Committee on Constitutional Issues and Citizen Initiatives, told the newspaper El Universal. “This reform does not aim to erase history but rather to write a new chapter in which tradition and compassion walk hand in hand.”
Animal rights activists and Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada celebrated the move as a major victory. Brugada, whose initial proposal to ban bullfights in which bulls are killed or wounded was applauded by President Claudia Sheinbaum, said the capital will now be a place “that respects the rights of animals.”
“The spectacle of blood cannot be justified as art or tradition,” she said. “Culture evolves, and we have the responsibility to transform it in favor of animal welfare.”
According to a Mexico City government press release, the modifications to the Animal Welfare Law call for:
- No more violent bullfights, or variations in which bulls traditionally suffer injuries or death — such as rejoneos (bullfighting on horseback), novilladas (featuring novice bullfighters and younger bulls) and becerradas (training exercises).
- Creating the concept of a “violence-free bullfighting spectacle.”
- No killing of the bull inside or outside the bullring; the animals will be returned to their herd once the spectacle is over.
- The protection of the bulls’ physical integrity, avoiding mistreatment before, during and after the event.
- Eliminating the use of sharp objects such as banderillas, swords and lances, allowing only the use of the cape and the muleta (the smaller red cloth used toward the end).
- Putting padding on the bull’s horns to avoid harm to people or other animals.
- Limiting each bullfight to either 15 minutes, according to several sources, or to 30 minutes, according to the newspaper El País.
Tuesday’s vote appeared to be an attempt to broker a compromise between two warring sides of the debate. Since 2009, more than 20 initiatives have been introduced seeking to ban bullfighting in Mexico City.
Though one ban was enacted in 2022, a year and a half later, it was lifted by Mexico’s Supreme Court. That led to a day of bullfighting at Plaza México in January 2024, only to have a judge’s ruling suspend such activity less than three days after approximately 40,000 fans had witnessed six bullfights — and the killing of all six bulls.
Plaza México, also known as Monumental Plaza de Toros, has been hosting bullfights since 1946 and is the only functional venue for the sport in Mexico City. It has a capacity of 41,200 but has at times accommodated over 50,000 spectators.
The new legislation, which arose from a citizen initiative presented in September 2024, sparked angry protests from bullfighting supporters and matadors, some of whom tried to breach a police barricade outside the government building. One person carried a sign that said “Being a fan of bullfighting is not a crime. It’s a point of pride.”
Long considered a tradition and a pastime in Latin America and on the Iberian Peninsula, bullfighting has come under criticism for animal cruelty because bulls are usually killed at the end of the fight. Animal rights groups say that approximately 180,000 bulls are killed every year in bullfighting worldwide.
“It’s an activity where the fighting bull dies in a bullring. That’s its nature … It is a beast,” one bullfighting fan yelled into a megaphone outside city hall.
Arturo Saldívar, a professional bullfighter who was also protesting, expressed concern about the future of his profession and the survival of the fighting bull breed.
Estimates from the Mexican Association of Bullfighting Entrepreneurs indicate that 40,000 direct jobs and 80,000 indirect jobs are at risk because of the changeover.
Moreover, the decision will hurt local businesses and tourism. Restaurants and hotels near the Plaza de Toros have traditionally seen sales increase by up to 60% during bullfighting season, according to the newspaper Expansión.
“Violence-free bullfighting” is also practiced in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Tanzania, parts of Bolivia and in California at traditional Portuguese festivals. However, most of those practices are not legally recognized or as formally structured as the new regulations in Mexico City.
Activists are now turning their attention to getting similar laws passed in other Mexican states or cities. According to Humane World for Animals, previously known as the Humane Society, bullfighting is banned in Sonora, Guerrero, Sinaloa, Coahuila and Quintana Roo, but it remains legal in every other state and has been granted status as “an intangible part of cultural heritage” in at least eight states.
With reports from El Universal, El País, Associated Press and Excelsior
