From the five Latin American countries that have a bullfighting industry, Venezuela seems to be country where bullfighting is least popular. 

Bullfighting started in Venezuela with the arrival of the Spaniards and took its 'modern' form in the 19th century when the industry properly started from the city of San Cristóbal. Today, the bullfighting industry has at least 55 permanent bullrings (the biggest in Valencia, San Cristóbal-Tachira, Mérida, Maracaibo, Maracay, Valle de Pascua, Tovar and La Victoria), at least 25 breeding farms for 'bullfighting bulls', and two bullfighting schools (in San Cristobal and Mérida).

One of the most important bullfighting festivals in Venezuela is the Feria de San Cristóbal, in the state of Tachira, close to Colombia. San Cristóbal is said to be the Venezuelan city where bullfighting is most popular, and bullfighting takes place in this city during the whole year. The State of Carabobo is the first in number of bullfights, since Valencia, with the second biggest bullring in Latin America (25,000 seats), is its capital. The Feria Taurina in Valencia is from the 4th to the 18th of November.

Although bullfighting is not very popular in Maracay, it is said that the State of Aragua - of which Maracay is the capital - is the 'base' of the Venezuelan bullfighting industry, since the Jirón family, the most well-known bullfighting family (which has 'produced' many bullfighters) lives here. Its bullfighting festival is celebrated in April, called Feria de San José. They only have two bullfights and one novillada a year, but they do organize a lot of coleo (see below).

In Caracas, the bullring Nuevo Circo was closed for many years due to lack of attendance to the bullfights. It has now been rebuilt. Not for bullfighting, but for cultural events without involving animal abuse.

Bullfighting is legal in Venezuela because there is no national or state animal protection legislation that prohibits this or any other cruel activity towards animals. There have been several attempts in the past to create this legislation. It started with a failed attempt by Congressman Victor Mileo in the 1980’s. In 1997, the press announced the creation of an animal protection law, but this did not progress. In 1999, a proposal backed by 30,000 signatures was presented to the congress lead by Congressman Paciano Patrón, but this proposal exempted bullfighting, cockfighting and coleo. This was the most successful proposal to date, since it was approved by Congress, but it was rejected by the Senate. In April 2005, a bill was proposed by Congressman Jesus Castro, but that did not progress either.

The most recent case was in March 2007 when a Bill (Ley de Protección de los Animales Domésticos, Dominados, Silvestres y Exóticos en Cautiverio) for an animal protection law that would actually ban bullfighting was presented. This was a proposal written by lawyer Edith Varela and presented by Luis Tascón Gutierrez. The Bill, which stated that bullfighting was allowed only if the bull was not hurt, had a strong opposition from the coleo industry, which lobbied heavily against it. The Bill was approved in the first discussion, but then it went to a 'consultation phase' and it has not progressed much since then.

Locally, some municipalities have banned bullfighting, such as Naguanagua (they also banned circuses with animals), close to Valencia in the state of Carabobo. In San Antonio and Merida, the access of minors to bullfights was banned. Carrizal, in the state of Miranda, is the first town in Venezuela declaring itself anti-bullfighting. Venezuela's capital Caracas was the second city to declare itself anti-bullfighting.

Coleo (also known as Toros Coleados) is very popular in Venezuela (like in Colombia), especially in the countryside. This is a 'sport' where two riders try to throw a bull to the ground repeatedly by pulling its tail. Its popularity started in the 1980’s, when the Venezuelan president, Luis Herrera Campins, was a big aficionado. The states with the most coleo are Aragua, Lara, Guarico, Cojeles, Apure and Portuguesa.