Bullfighting, which has been known for five centuries in the Mexican capital, is facing a possible ban under a proposed law submitted to the local parliament supporting animal welfare, and according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”, the controversy over bullfighting is not new in the mega city, which includes the largest arenas in the world. Each of them can accommodate 50 thousand spectators, but it is the first time that the local parliament has to take a decision on banning this tradition.

The Congress of Mexico State must take its decision in the next plenary session, after it passed the bill at the level of parliamentary committees last December, and in their defense of bullfighting, its enthusiasts and professionals liken their case to those related to issues of respect for minorities and freedom of thought.

“Where did the word ban come from?” asks Rafael Coe, a writer and member of the Mexican Bullfighting Association, which includes amateurs, wrestlers, breeders, and companies involved in the practice. Including abortion and animal care.

In a statement issued, the Mexican Bullfighting Association asked: Is it permissible for public authorities to impose “the moral choices of one group of society on the rest of the citizens?” The association considers that this “consequently means the possibility of prohibiting voluntary abortion or same-sex marriage” and considers that efforts to ban shows during which animals are subjected to abuse should be discussed in terms of “liberties” rather than “tastes or fashion”.

The author of the ban, local leftist MP Jorge Iaviño, denounces the “animals are things” argument, which ignores legal concepts that mistreatment of animals in public places affects members of society.