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LIMA • In a matter of months, the coronavirus accomplished something that animal rights defenders failed to accomplish in decades: curbing bullfighting in Peru.
The annual festival of Señor de los Milagros (lord of miracles) in Lima’s Acho bullring, which usually takes place in October or November, was canceled this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. The 14,000-person ring is being used to provide shelter for homeless retirees affected by the pandemic.
“There will be no bulls this year,” said Rafael Puga, 72, a retired bullfighter.
It is the first time since the festival began in 1946 that it has been canceled.
Bullfighting is very popular among Peruvians. Peru has more bullrings than soccer stadiums.
In Peru, “there must be 700 bullfights a year with 2,500 bulls killed,” Puga said.
But all have been banned due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, soccer was restarted in August after a five-month hiatus.
“The fact that there are no bullfights in the provinces is like death for the ranchers. Some will not be able to survive because the cattle eat every day,” said Mr. Juan Manuel Roca Rey, who organizes bullfights and also raises cattle. Bulls.
“This not only affects us artists, but everyone who works around a bullfight,” said bullfighter Fernando Villavicencio, 34, adding that the ban has also affected those who make the costumes for the bullfighters. bullfighters and cattle transporters.
But activists for animal rights are celebrating. “This is good news. There is no reason for the bull party to go ahead,” said activist Luis Berrospi.
In February, Peru’s high court rejected a lawsuit brought by animal rights activists hoping to ban roosters and bullfights on the grounds that they were unconstitutional.
The Constitutional Court ruled that “there is no universal declaration of animal rights that has been adopted either by the UN (United Nations) or by Unesco.”
FRANCE MEDIA AGENCY
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