Colombia’s constitutional court authorized the return of bullfighting to Bogota, two years after Mayor Gustavo Petro banned the controversial activity.
Petro wouldn’t allow bullfighting in Colombia’s capital because “it would be against my principles.” Instead, his administration turned the Santa Maria bullring into an athletic and cultural space.
The anti-bullfighting policy of the leftist mayor provoked the hunger strike of eight bullfighters while local bullfighting associations put the case on trial.
After a close 5-4 vote, the Santa Marta bullfighting supporters won. The mayor declared on this twitter account “Because of one vote, cruelty will continue: having fun over animals’ death.”
The Constitutional Court fixes laws about bullfighting in the country by the “National Regulation of Bullfighting”. It stands especially that bullfighting is “an artistic expression.”
“Thank you Constitutional Court. Thank you magistrates for respecting bullfighting,” said the bullfighting association Somos Taurinos on its website.
Colombia is the home of four bullfighting rings.
Sources
Asi respondio Petro por el regreso de los toros a Bogota (Semana.com)
Trending: The battle over bullfighting in Colombia (BBC News)
Abre su porta!!! La monumental plaza de toros de Santa Marta (Somos Taurinos)