Mexico City introduces ‘bloodless bullfighting’ in win for animal rights activists
Guardian7 days ago
Mexico City Bans Violent Bullfighting in Historic Reform
Above: A young bullfighter performs a pass in front of a line of riot police during a protest against an initiative to ban bullfighting in the capital while it is being debated in Mexico City Congress on March 18, 2025. Image copyright: Yuri Cortez/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Bloodless bullfighting spares the animal from physical and psychological cruelty, and represents a meaningful step forward in animal welfare. Bulls can avoid the excruciating pain of repeated stabbings and the slow, agonizing death that defines traditional bullfighting. This compromise preserves cultural heritage while significantly reducing the animal's immediate suffering and torture.
Narrative B
Traditional bullfighting embodies a profound cultural ritual that honors the bull’s strength and dignity. Bulls live freely for years in expansive pastures, unlike industrial livestock. Their final moments are marked by courage, not fear, reinforcing a tradition that preserves both natural landscapes and a deeply rooted aesthetic expression of bravery and respect.
Narrative C
In Mexico City's shift to bloodless bullfighting, we must recognize that bulls still suffer immense psychological distress and physical exhaustion. Though the banderillas will bear Velcro instead of barbs, these animals remain exploited for entertainment, repeatedly tormented until they're too broken to perform, then typically slaughtered. The cruelty is merely taking a subtler form.