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Date Published: 03/05/2024

Spain abolishes National Bullfighting Award amid animal welfare concerns

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The tradition has been described as “unfair, sadistic and despicable” by Spain’s Ministry of Culture

Spain abolishes National Bullfighting Award amid animal welfare concerns

The Spanish Ministry of Culture has taken a monumental step away from the nation’s bullfighting tradition by deciding to scrap the National Bullfighting Award permanently, breaking a streak dating back to the award’s creation in 2011.

Minister Ernest Urtasun’s office stated that the cancellation proceedings would begin with a public consultation phase, where people will have a chance to voice any objections before a formal decree is issued.

“We are aware that we are talking about a tradition in Spain but traditions evolve and this is a reflection of society, because there is a majority that does not view animal abuse favourably and is increasingly more aware of their well-being,” Mr Urtasun pointed out.

The first recipient was the bullfighter Francisco Manuel Ojeda González, in 2013, and since no ceremony will be held this year, Julián López, ‘El Juli’, awarded in 2023, will be the last to be honoured with this distinction.

The award, which was accompanied by a prize of 30,000 euros, recognised professionals from the world of bullfighting for their work in defending and promoting bullfighting as an Asset of Cultural Interest.

The Spanish government has toyed with the idea of banning bullfighting altogether over the years, and many communities have taken it upon themselves to do away with bull runs, which are viewed as “unfair, sadistic and despicable” by those in favour of scrapping the events.

After the news came to light, the reactions were immediate. Victorino Martín, president of the Toro de Liria Foundation, has accused the Minister of Culture of discriminating against bullfighting “for ideological reasons.”

“If he doesn't like (the bulls), that’s ok,” he said, “but he is not there to do what he likes, but to govern for all Spaniards.”

Similarly, head of the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, Emiliano Garcia-Page, has riled against the move and vowed to create his own Bullfighting Awards in the community.

“These awards also have the ambition of being able to be coordinated or shared with other regions, since we intend for them to have national and international scope,” he wrote on social media.

In other news: Belgian woman murdered in Tenerife named as search continues for her husband

Image: Muriel Feiner via Wikimedia Commons

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