Colombia’s cockfighting industry exposed in new undercover investigation
28-05-2026CAS International publishes a new undercover investigation exposing the cockfighting industry in Colombia. For months, we documented what happens inside 7 cockfighting arenas and 8 breeding facilities for fighting roosters across different regions of the country. The footage reveals an extreme level of animal suffering, with animals bred, mutilated, and forced to fight to the death for entertainment.
Colombia’s cockfighting industry exposed in new undercover investigation | Screenshot undercover investigation
In September 2025, Colombia’s Constitutional Court upheld the ban on cockfighting, which will come into force in 2028. It is essential that this historic prohibition remains in place and is fully respected to protect thousands of animals from cruelty and exploitation.
Undercover investigation
The undercover investigation we are publishing exposes extreme animal suffering in the cockfighting industry. Field investigators infiltrated cockfighting arenas — known as “galleras” — and breeding farms where roosters are raised exclusively for fighting. Some locations were considered too dangerous to enter.
The footage documents the systematic exploitation of roosters from birth to death. Chicks are often given to children to normalize cockfighting from an early age. Roosters are tied up or confined in cages to prevent fights outside the arena, while hens are used solely for breeding future fighters. Many animals are discarded or killed before ever reaching the arena if breeders believe they are not profitable enough.
Watch the undercover investigation here (with English subtitles)
Combs and wattles removed
At around eight months old, roosters have their combs and wattles cut off without anesthesia using scissors or knives while being forcibly restrained. Before fights, breeders trim the animals’ natural spurs and attach artificial spurs measuring approximately 3.5 centimeters using melted wax heated with fire or blowtorches. These weapons dramatically increase the severity of the injuries inflicted during fights.
Each fight lasts a maximum of eight minutes, although many end sooner when one rooster collapses or dies. Even surviving animals are often left with devastating injuries, including the loss of their eyes.
Cockfighting continues to exist throughout Latin America, parts of Europe, the United States, and much of Asia. Like all animals, roosters do not want to suffer, be mutilated, confined, or killed. No tradition can justify this violence.
No Más Olé
After many years of advocacy by the anti-bullfighting movement, the Colombian Congress passed the law known as “No Más Olé” (“No More Olé”) in 2024, establishing the end of bullfighting in the country. The law introduced a three-year transition period to phase out these types of spectacles.
In September 2025, Colombia’s Constitutional Court confirmed the constitutionality of the ban on bullfighting and expanded its scope to also include the cruel events known as corralejas, coleo, and cockfighting throughout the country. The ban established by this ruling will come into force in 2028.
This historic progress represents a crucial opportunity to protect thousands of animals from abuse and exploitation. However, supporters of cockfighting are currently trying to prevent the implementation of the law and weaken the protections achieved for animals. That is why continuing to expose the reality of cockfighting is so important.
CAS and cockfighting
Until now, CAS has not focused on cockfighting, focussing on bullfighting and cruel bull-related events such as corralejas and coleo and the hunt with dogs (in Spain). However, the “No Más Olé” law, which bans bullfighting, also includes cockfighting within its scope. If we want to ensure that this law is not rolled back, it is essential not only to defend the ban on bullfighting, but also to protect all animals covered by the legislation. Defending the prohibition on cockfighting also helps defend the broader “No Más Olé” legislation and prevents setbacks that could threaten the ban on bullfighting and other violent spectacles involving animals. For this reason, CAS is currently also focusing on cockfighting in Colombia.
It is essential that this ban remains in place and is fully respected in order to guarantee the welfare of these animals and move toward a more compassionate society free from violence against sentient beings.
Watch the undercover investigation here (with English subtitles)
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