A crowd running after a bull through the streets of a town. A preset limit: the valley of a river. Before the deadline: dozens of choppers and spearmen trying spearing the animal until his death. After the limit: the area of salvation; the bull is pardoned. It might seem a novel inspired by the medieval era, but it is the image that has been occurring in the Spanish town of Tordesillas, Castilla y Leon, every September since 1534, and that we will not see following a decision of the regional government has provoked different feelings among supporters and detractors.
the Castilla and Leon approved last week by the Governing Council a decree-law on the death of the fighting bulls it is prohibited in the presence public in bullfighting and popular shows in the area. Alfonso Chilleron, president of the National Association for the Protection and Welfare of Animals (ANPBA), told RT that this decision has directly affected this controversial celebration because “regulatory bylaw Toro de la Vega requires, in its Article 20, that the bull must attack him with spears -alancearlo- with intent to kill “, which has been banned” not only the death of the animal in public, but also the use of spears “.
The tournament Toro de la Vega is a bullfighting event of medieval origin, held in the Spanish town of Tordesillas, Castile and Leon, and was declared feast of tourist interest in 1980 and traditional bullfighting in 1999. the first written reference dates back to 1534, in the book of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament of Santiago Apostle of Tordesillas. Currently, the tournament is the pursuit of a bull by dozens of choppers and spearmen trying lancear the animal to death after being released near the town square and led by corridors to the valley of the River Douro. In this area is the preset limit, and if the bull gets past is pardoned, at least in theory. Last year, despite having won the tournament, Rompesuelas, as it was called the bull, he received several threatening launched after reaching the area of salvation. The tournament had to be declared invalid post.
In recent years, the Toro de la Vega has gained notoriety for the actions taken by various associations and animalistic parties, which each September have moved Tordesillas to denounce the cruelty to which the animal is subjected. The various altercations that have been taking place in the town between supporters and detractors, the interest shown in the media as well as the logical cultural evolution of a society, meant that the regional government has put an end to this bullfighting event.
the decree-law will have to be validated in the Castile and Leon before one month, although it seems that in Tordesillas, next September, will not see a medieval image of Spain. “We will be very vigilant and will warn the council that all the necessary measures to comply with the law, and the citizens of Tordesillas that if they kill the bull incur a crime of animal abuse, punishable under the Penal Code with up to 18 months are taken prison, “says Silvia Barquero, spokesman Animalista Party (PACMA), told RT.
PACMA, which in the last general elections in December 2015 doubled its votes to 2011, he has been in contact with the Minister of Environment and Minister of the Presidency since last September. Contrary to what they have declared defenders of Toro de la Vega and the mayor of Tordesillas on the “surprise” of this decision of the Board of Castilla y Leon, Barquero tells us that in his party knew that “the regional government had a clear position and an interest in ending the death of Toro de la Vega, and that the decree would be published at this time. ”
In the same vein ANPBA, he is confident that the City Council amended the Ordinance prohibiting the death of the bull is expressed. He tells us Chilleron, the organization “will be very vigilant about the development of events on the same day of the show, as the actions of the public is concerned”, ensuring that the Spanish legal system “has the legal instruments to which we can go if a participant wants to skip the legality “.
on the other hand, most of the residents of Tordesillas, with the mayor at the head, and several organizations and associations bullfighting, outraged by this decision. “The council will initiate all necessary legal action to defend the tournament Toro de la Vega, one of the most important signs of our region’s cultural identity,” reports the City Council in a statement through their website.
“Nothing justifies acting with the urgency of a decree against part of our cultural heritage, unless we stand before dictatorial actions used to violate rights and curtailing freedoms. Against this totalitarian abuse can not be another way that the legal defense and the requirement of political responsibilities “denounced Wednesday the Patronato del Toro de la Vega said in a statement released through its website.
have also been frequent voices that have expressed via Twitter his opposition to the decree:
On the other hand, it is surprising that the mayor of Tordesillas, Jose Antonio González Poncela, belongs to PSOE, whose secretary general and presidential candidate and several of his ministers have repeatedly expressed their opposition to this type of celebrations. Barquero attributed this to the “lack of pressure from the Socialist Party to force the mayor to follow a consistent line with what Pedro Sanchez has publicly stated”.
Now lies ahead to know how to face the City of Tordesillas this change and how to regulate the tournament for next Toro de la Vega, although local residents and the mayor have stated on several occasions that “no death, no party.”
In preparing this article have been used RT media files, AFP.
Prepared by Maria Jesus Vigo Pastur Mikhail Ratkovski.
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