Hard blow for bullfighting in Mexico: the new Mexico City law against animal abuse, approved in December by the Asamblea Legislativa del Distrito Federal and published yesterday in the Official Gazette, does not explicitly exclude bulls. As a result, even bullfighters could be sentenced to up to six years in prison.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Hard blow for the bullfight: the new law of Mexico City against i mistreatment of animals, approved in December by the Legislative Assembly of the Federal District and published yesterday in the Official Gazette, does not explicitly exclude bulls. Consequently, too bullfighters could be sentenced to up to six years in prison.
Governor MMiguel Angel Mancera, the Party of the Democratic Revolution, immediately ran for cover, denying that celebrations with the bulls could be influenced by the legislation. According to him, it would rather be "a problem of interpretation". But the law, even without making any explicit reference to bullfighting, says it clearly and loudly: whoever practices "acts of mistreatment or cruelty to animals, hurting them in a way evident even without endangering the lives of animals ”will be punished with a sentence of between six months and two years in prison.
In case of life threatening for “the non-human living being, endowed with its own mobility and able to respond to environmental and sensory stimuli”, the sanction, on the other hand, ranges from one to three years. Finally, when the animal is killed, they risk between 2 and 4 years in prison, which can increase 3 to 6 years if death occurs due to torture or after a prolonged agony of the animal (read bullfighting).
The legislation, which by no means excludes animals raised for entertainment, clearly paves the way for condemnation of the ill-treatment carried out on bulls, as well as the abuses perpetrated in circuses and zoos. The local coordinator of the Green Party, Gesù Sesma, stressed that “any person can file a complaint against the mistreatment of any animal. It is up to the judges to decide whether they will be punished or not “.
The animal welfare associations, meanwhile, underline that it is still too early to sing victory, above all because the law would conflict with article 25 of the Ley de Protección a los Animales, which establishes a exemption for bullfights, bulls, rodeos, horse races or shows for family entertainment. “Apparently it is not certain that the complaints against the toreros will have progressed. But there's still a chance they'll go to jail. I hope so, even if it is complicated ", Antonio Franyuti, director of the AnimaNaturalis association, said in an interview.
In short, the definition of animal maltreatment marked an important step forward in the field of animal rights in Mexico. But, to be sure that even the toreros are punished as they deserve, the law should be enforced explicitly includes bulls as well. To ask, according to Sesma, is well the 60% of the population, in spite of those who still flaunt the banner of "tradition".
Roberta Ragni
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