2020: 89% less bullfights in Spain

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Due to the coronavirus outbreak, 89 percent fewer bullfights were held in Spain than in 2019. This is a big blow to the bullfighting sector, which is already suffering major financial losses due to our successful campaigns. Together with our sister organizations, we achieved that in the last 10 years the number of bullfights in Spain decreased by 63 percent.

It could even be that corona will be the final blow to the bullfighting sector. Several breeders of bulls indicate that their businesses are no longer financially sustainable and they are considering converting their company into a lucrative one. And the situation is not only serious in Spain: in all other bullfighting countries, most bullfights could not take place in 2020. In Latin America, the bullfighting season starts in November/December, and we receive daily notifications of canceled events. For example, it is already known that the bullfighting season of the Colombian capital Bogota will not continue in 2021. And the cruel bull festivals in San José, the capital of Costa Rica, have been canceled.

2020 has been a turbulent year that we will not soon forget. For the first time in 42 years no running of the bulls were held in Pamplona. And many cruel bull festivities were canceled. However, this does not mean that we could sit back and watch. We had to stay alert and improvise. For example, CAS and AnimaNaturalis España, started a campaign to prevent the bullfighting sector from receiving financial compensation from the national government after the cancellation of events due to corona. And the bloody sector received no compensation from the central government. Furthermore, the Minister of Culture said in an interview with the Spanish press that he does not need to promote the controversial activities of the bullfighting sector.

Unfortunately, some bullfights were held in 2020, and we had to keep our eyes and ears open to see if everything went according to the rules. And that did not happen. That is why we, together with AnimaNaturalis España, have brought charges against the organizers of various bullfights because the corona measures were not followed: think of not wearing mouth masks, not keeping 1.5 meters of distance, and even throwing objects back and forth between the audience and the bullfighters in the bullring. This has endangered the public health of Spain.

In 2021, we will do everything in our power to further weaken the bullfighting sector. For example, we are conducting an in-depth investigation to uncover all subsidies for bull festivities in Spain. This research will help us in our fight to get rid of those subsidies. We are at a crucial moment. The end of bullfighting is nearer than ever and we cannot continue without your help. Support our fight and become a sponsor, or make a donation.