José Luis Lozano opens San Isidro: “Is Urtasun qualified to be Minister of Culture? The worst thing is that he does not represent anyone”

The Alcurrucn bulls that are to inaugurate the San Isidro fair this Friday are already in Las Ventas and have passed the first recognition. Its breeder, José Luis Lozano, a businessman in this square for so many years (1990-2004) and manager of great figures, He also accumulates successes as a farmer in his noise. A palmares of flag bulls (Jabatillo, Malagueo, Licensed, Barberillo…), large doors (12) and great tasks without a sword that are set in the anthological task of Julio Aparicio in 1994. Only the trophy case of Victoriano del Ro gets over it.

Lozano, at 89, is wisdom incarnate, the most repeated voice in the world of bullfighting, he is happy about the explosive spring of the countryside. He follows current events closely. Not just taurine. The cancellation of the National Bullfighting Award by the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasunit does not surprise him, but it does not cease to outrage him: “This man is irresponsible. Not only in this matter of bullfighting. You have to see what he has done in the museums. The question is: is he qualified to be a minister? That is The first thing to ask yourself is that we are already accustomed to these persecutions in bullfighting.”

The wise man from Alameda de la Sagra maintains that he has reacted well. The sector but also other political voices – “Page is very smart, Ayuso has been quick” – and the press, at least the one he reads: “It has helped us become aware of the barbarity. He is the Minister of Culture, eh? Cry out to heaven to arbitrarily remove and place prizes. The worst thing is that they don’t represent anyone.. You just have to look at how they are doing in the Catalan polls. That’s why you also have to understand the play. “If we had an entry in the Plaza de Pontevedra with the votes that Yolanda Díaz garners in Galicia, it would be a ruin.”

José Luis Lozano highlights the growth of the public that the Fallas and Abril fairs have registered. But not only in the large fairs, since it focuses on the towns, “historically very bad squares where there have been full, and full, and full. That has not happened for many years, probably since the 90s. Look, that’s what the Chenel Cup is doing well., open places. Valdemoro, for example, who posted there are no bills. The tickets will be very cheap, but there are times when people don’t even go for free. The damage that Podemos and its partners did for years… We are not truly aware. Mstoles, Ciempozuelos, Valmojado or Valdemoro closed. “Bullfights with bullfighting figures took place in the 90s.”

The rancher-businessman, oracle of bullfighting, remembers the left of another era, with which he surrounded himself so much. “As they had no prejudices then, they did a lot for the bull. Without complexes. They considered the festival a rebellious art.” I remember the interview in which Lozano reflected on other times: “The left, until a quarter of an hour ago, was fascinated by bulls. I remember José Antonio Bardem, Bergamn, Manolo Tamames… Over time, in the 90s, we had an extraordinary gathering at the house of the painter Pepe Díaz, who lived above Café Gijn. A few of us got together: Ral del Pozo, Paco Umbral, Manolo Vicent, Mexico, Carrillo… Look, it’s curious, they didn’t talk about politics. I invited Carrillo to the bulls.” And he went.

This began with the coolest thing, the start of San Isidro with one of the two Alcurrucn bullfights announced – Friday, May 10 and Thursday, May 30 – in the serial. “Let’s see what happens. We are in a bad position. I don’t like this coming out as an opening act. Also, with one peculiarity, that you take away the entire month of May from the bullwhen they do the most [se rematan]. April and May are the two best months, if you take one away in the preparation…”, says José Luis Lozano. Are there differences between the two bullfights? “They are very similar, the last one is more even. The cinqueos are distributed between the two. They say Morante is better. We’ll see”