The Royal Union of Fighting Bull Breeders, Union of Bullfighters, National Association of Organizations of Bullfighting Shows (ANOET), Fundación del Toro de Lidia, and Alianza Rural -which represents the most relevant entities in the Spanish countryside-, demand the resignation of the Minister of Culture Ernest Urtasun agiven the new exercise of censorship that he has committed by deciding to eliminate the National Bullfighting Award from his ministry.
“This decision is an insult, not only to the most important cultural economic activity in our country, but it is also an attack against law 18/2023 [y sobre todo y por encima la Constitucin: artculos 149.2, 44 y 46] which establishes that the “State must protect and promote Bullfighting, a direct responsibility of the Minister,” they say in a statement.
And he continues: “Bullfighting It is a symbol of the rural world of Spain and its customs.. Legislating with our backs turned to so many spectators who fill the bullrings, as well as to those who run bullfights or celebrate their popular festivities in the streets, or to the rural people who live by and for the fighting bull, is an exercise in totalitarianism more typical of other regimes. The decision to eliminate the National Bullfighting Award, protected by the fact that ‘traditions evolve and now there is a social majority against animal abuse’ it is not that it constitutes an attack on democracy, but rather it is an aberration for those of us who defend and respect the fighting bull as a real paradigm of animal welfare” .
The organizations signatories demand the resignation of the Minister and they appreciate the support from the regional governments that demonstrate that they are involved in dignifying bullfighting cultural activity and the Spanish rural world.