BOGOTA, Colombia: Colombia’s Congress passed a law on Tuesday banning bullfighting, a controversial but still popular pastime in the South American country with hundreds of events that draw thousands of spectators each year.
The ban will take effect from 2027 if approved by leftist President Gustavo Petro, who has previously supported restrictions on bullfighting.
The lower house gave the green light to the law by a vote ratio of 93:2.
“It is clear that the bullfighters will sue,” Colombian Senator Andrea Padilla said in a post on X, calling the decision a “historic step.”
“We’ll be there to defend it!” she added.
The law would bring Colombia in line with other countries in the region that have banned bullfighting, including Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Guatemala.
Until 2027, the state would have to help find alternative employment opportunities for the tens of thousands of people estimated to be directly or indirectly dependent on bullfighting for their income.
It would also have to adapt the country’s arenas for other sports and cultural activities.
In 2018, the Constitutional Court recognized bullfighting as part of Colombian cultural tradition.
But the capital Bogota – one of the oldest bullfighting cities in the Americas – has since banned the injuring or killing of bulls, removing the bloodiest part of the spectacle in what it hopes will eventually lead to an end to the blood sport.
The city of Medellin has also imposed restrictions, but bullfighting remains popular in cities such as Cali and Manizales.
Colombia is one of only eight countries in the world where bullfighting still takes place – those being Ecuador, France, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Spain and Venezuela.
In the capital of Ecuador, Quito, it is forbidden to kill a bull.
