MADRID – A bull speared the Mexican matador Arturo Gilio in the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid on Monday. During the San Isidro celebrations bullfight, the matador was seriously injured.
With its horn, the bull inflicted a 25-centimetre wound in the matador’s left calf. Furthermore, the prognosis is serious, according to various media. Arturo Gilio was a debutant, as were the other two matadors in the first of 3 bullfights in San Isidro. The bulls for this fight came from the Aragonese bull breeder Los Maños. Following an incident on Sunday involving Álvaro Lorenzo, Gilio was the second bullfighter to be injured.
Opponents and waning interest
Despite the fact that more and more municipalities in Spain are saying goodbye to bullfighting because they no longer consider it of this time to torture animals for public entertainment, many cities in Spain continue with this controversial phenomenon. That is a thorn in the side of animal rights organisations such as PETA. Interest in bullfighting in Spain is also declining. Before the corona pandemic, the number of bullfights organised reached an all-time low.
Good for the economy
Proponents argue that the sector contributes to the Spanish economy and provides jobs. The world of bullfighting in Spain, according to data from the National Association of Bullfighting OrganiSers (ANOET), includes 103 economic activities, from the breeding of fighting bulls, and training for bullfighters to related catering businesses. Together, these activities contribute more than 4 billion euros to the Spanish economy.
See also: Bullfights not included in new Spanish animal welfare law
Response to the Vice President of Animal Rights Organisation PETA
PETA Vice President Mimi Bekhechi commented on the news of the two injured ‘matadores’ in Madrid: “There is blood but no glory in bullfighting, a display of almost unparalleled ferocity. Arturo Gilio chose to risk his life when he entered the ring to stab a bull to death and cut off the animal’s ears. But the bull he stabbed struggled to survive, not even having the slightest “sporting” chance to leave the ring alive.
PETA and other animal respecters are determined to have these despicable displays of human arrogance and callousness banned.
