MEXICO CITY – Humane Society International/Mexico applauds the Congress of Sinaloa for unanimously approving an initiative that bans bullfighting in the state, classifying it as animal cruelty.
Sinaloa now becomes the fifth state in Mexico to ban bullfighting after Sonora, Guerrero, Coahuila and Quintana Roo. The ban will see an end to the annual bullfights in Mazatlán city, the only town in Sinaloa to still hold bullfights. Bullfighting still takes place in 27 states, resulting in the killing of thousands of bulls each year despite considerable public opposition. According to a 2013 survey by leading Mexican polling agency Parametria, 73% of Mexicans support a nationwide ban on bullfighting.
Felipe Marquez, animal cruelty program manager for HSI/Mexico, said: “This is an important reform in Mexico because it reflects the views and sentiments of the majority of Mexican citizens who believe that bullfighting should be banned. We cannot hope to tackle violence in our society if we still allow animals to be stabbed to death for our entertainment.”
The initiative states that bullfighting infringes the rights of Mexican society which is interested in the care of and respect for animals, as well as a healthy environment, recognized in Article 4 of the Constitution.
The Congress of Sinaloa expanded the scope of the Animal Welfare Law, the Environmental Law for Sustainable Development as well as the Penal Code, to include a ban on bullfighting, better protect wild animals and increase fines up to $1,000 US for acts of animal cruelty
ENDS
Media Contact:
- Mexico: Magaly Garibay: mgaribay@idee.agen; (+52 55) 5211 8731, ext. 104
- Global: Wendy Higgins: whiggins@hsi.org
