Spain bans bullfighting involving people with disabilities

Spain has officially banned a form of bullfighting in which people with disabilities, mainly individuals with dwarfism, were used. These so-called “comic” bullfights were presented as entertainment, but they were humiliating for the participants and cruel to the animals. CAS International and AnimaNaturalis had previously filed complaints and conducted research into these practices.

Spain bans bullfighting involving people with disabilities | Picture: CAS International / AnimaNaturalis

On Tuesday, February 24, the Council of Ministers approved a royal decree amending the bullfighting regulations, introducing a clear and explicit ban on “comic” bullfights involving people with disabilities.

People with disabilities

According to CAS International and AnimaNaturalis, these performances publicly mocked people with disabilities while simultaneously treating animals cruelly. Both organizations have previously filed complaints and extensively documented such events.

For example, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in Teruel, a “comic bullfight” took place with participants with dwarfism. CAS and AnimaNaturalis documented how the participants’ disabilities were mocked. See footage from this event below.

Legal action was also taken because existing laws, such as the General Disability Law, implicitly prohibited such activities due to their humiliating nature. However, since the ban was not explicit, organizers were still able to find loopholes to continue holding the events.

Cortes de la Frontera

In 2023, the regional government of Andalusia refused a permit for a similar “comic bullfight” in Cortes de la Frontera, citing the Disability Law. The court in Málaga ruled that it had not been proven that the organizers intended to mock the participants or their disabilities.

In July 2024, CAS International and AnimaNaturalis filed another objection to the same event, even after the Spanish Ombudsman urged the regional government not to allow it. The government ignored this recommendation, and the event went ahead.

Comic bullfight in Teruel, July 2023 | Picture: CAS International / AnimaNaturalis

Petition against EU subsidies

Did you know that your tax money is being used, through European agricultural subsidies, to breed cattle for bullfights and cruel folk festivals in Spain, France, and Portugal?

It is estimated that around €200 million per year is involved. We believe this must stop. Therefore, CAS International, with support from the animal organizations AnimaNaturalis (Spain) and ANIMAL (Portugal), has launched a petition aiming to end European agricultural subsidies for bull breeders. Sign our petition here!

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