Vargas Llosa says “ole” for bullfighting


There has been a push in recent years throughout Latin America to bar the traditional sport of bullfighting. For example, a group of Mexican senators in April introduced an animal rights bill that would also make bullfighting illegal.

Faced with the possibility that bullfighting could soon be a relic of the past, defenders of the sport in Latin America have launched a campaign seeking international recognition. A pro-bullfighting association in Mexico (CONTROMEX) recently submitted to the government a report calling for the sport to be named an “intangible cultural heritage” by UNESCO. Thus, according to CONTROMEX, bullfighting could receive a “special protection” under the U.N. that would normally be afforded to areas such as art, language and music.

Supporters of bullfighting may’ve received a boost from one of Latin America’s foremost authors according to William Cárdenas, the president of the Association Internacional de Tauromaquia (World Bullfighting Association). In remarks made to the EFE news agency, Cárdenas claimed that Peruvian Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa backed the campaign for UNESCO recognition of bullfighting. “His approval undoubtedly signifies a strong support of our campaign…so that bullfighting receives its deserved recognition as part of our universal culture,” said Cárdenas.

Earlier this month in Ecuador, voters in a nationwide referendum approved several government-backed measures on areas like media ownership and judicial reform. Voters backed a ban on bullfighting by a narrow margin though not without detractors:

At a demonstration…Milton Calahorrano, president of Ecuador's Bull-fighters Union, marched in his typical tight torero outfit in Quito's scorching sun.

"The president doesn't like bull-fighting, and that's why he wants to ban it. You can't delete hundreds of years of tradition like this," he said.

"Bulls are meat like any other animal, sooner or later they die anyway."

Online Sources- BBC News, COPE, ABC.es, Fox News Latino, UNESCO, Humane Society International
Video Source - YouTube