The Venezuelan Supreme Court has taken the decision to annul the Ordinance on Bullfights (1988) in the capital city Caracas, making it the first area of the country to effectively introduce a ban on bullfighting. This is a huge step forward as we push for a complete ban on bullfighting across Venezuela.
The Ordinance on Bullfights contradicts a newer regulation which states that Venezuela is required to protect all living species. As anyone who has ever seen a bullfight will know, la corrida involves a huge amount of suffering not only to bulls but to horses as well. All of this cruelty can only serve to have a negative impact on society.
In real terms the annulment of the ordinance won’t a significant difference to the scale of bullfighting in the city, as Caracas is no longer a major centre for corridas. Indeed, no bullfight has taken place in the city’s bullring for over fourteen years. Caracas also declared itself to be an “anti-bullfighting city” in April 2009.
However, this decision could hopefully trigger similar moves in bullfighting strongholds such as Maracay, Maracaibo and San Cristóbal. A cancellation of the bullfighting ordinance in these cities would effectively entail the end of bullfighting in Venezuela.
Photograph © CAS International