Mexico City’s congress has voted to ban traditional bullfighting and replace it with a new form of bloodless spectacle. The decision marks the latest episode in a years-long legal battle to outlaw the practice in the capital. Animal rights activists celebrated the move on Tuesday, even though they had been pushing for a total ban on bullfighting. Anton Aguilar, the executive director of Humane World for Animals Mexico, welcomed the move, noting that “a bull event without violence does not mean one without suffering.”

The change stemmed from a citizens’ initiative which first proposed a total ban, only for the head of the Mexico City government, Clara Brugada, to modify it and introduce the concept of non-violent bullfights. Brugada suggested that the move would allow them to retain the economic activity around bullfighting. She stated that “The spectacle of blood cannot be justified under any concept of art and tradition” and that animal welfare is a right and a duty for society. The new regulation limits the bloodless bullfights to 15 minutes and prohibits the bulls from dying either inside or outside the ring.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/18/mexico-city-bloodless-bullfights