The timeline is as follows. On Friday, May 3, the Ministry of Culture announced plans to end the National Bullfighting Award. Two days later, on Sunday the 5th, the Pagés company, which is responsible for the management of the Maestranza bullring in Seville, announced that it would allow children under the age of eight to attend bullfights at the Seville bullring free of charge. All this, he assures, is part of efforts to “develop the hobby” among the little ones.

Of course, discussion is served.

Open bar for kids. This is what Pagés, the company responsible for the management of the emblematic Sevillian bullring, announced. On Sunday, the Maestranza Bullring published a short note on its website announcing the “One ticket, one child free” campaign. The name doesn’t leave much room for interpretation. Basically, children under the age of eight coming to the plaza will be allowed to pass free of charge. They must only be accompanied by an adult with a ticket. The goal, Pagés explains, is to be able to see the “dung oxen.”

The company emphasizes that this initiative is part of its efforts to “promote the hobby from the earliest times” and “promote contact” with the world of bullfighting. And in case there is any doubt, those responsible insist: The doors are open to every child under the age of eight, no matter how young.

Click on the image to go to the tweet.

What matters is… and when. Measure is important because of its substance and context. Whether intentional or not, the campaign was launched on Maestranza just days after the Ministry of Culture put forward plans to abolish the National Bullfighting Award for young people this year, which was created in 2011 and first awarded in 2013. and was awarded 30,000 euros.

department Ernest Urtasun It decided to suppress it to adapt to the “new social and cultural reality” of Spain, where “concerns for animal welfare” are increasing, the ministry said. “People less and less understand that animals are tortured and that awards are dedicated to this,” Urtasun said in an interview published on ‘Al Rojo Vivo’.

A controversial measure. This decision was put forward by elDiario.es on Friday. The following days, when the Pagés campaign was launched to publicize bullfights among children, were marked by the euphoria brought about by Culture’s decision. The end of the National Bullfighting Award received some applause, including that of Minister of Youth and Children Sira Rego, who hailed it as “advancement in rights”; but there is also angry criticism from both the industry and some in the political community.

Even the Andalusian Government called the decision a “colossal mistake” and accused the central executive of presenting a “shameful spectacle” and “turning its back on a historical foundation of Spanish culture.” There were even regional governments that showed they were willing to take the honor of the award. Opponents include socialist Emiliano García-Page, president of Castilla La Mancha.

“Psychological damages”. The initiative initiated by Maestranza was also subject to criticism, although it was of a very different nature. Reporting on Pagés’ campaign, Reuters, for example, echoes the objections of José Enrique Zaldívar of the Spanish Association of Veterinarians for the Abolition of Bullfighting: “We believe that it is wrong to allow young children to participate in these events, because seeing animals suffer can cause psychological damage.”

They go further on PACMA, linking the Pages campaign to the Government’s decision to remove the award from the industry. “This is one more reaction, because the bullfighting hornet’s nest is very agitated with the National Award,” Clara Márquez, training coordinator in Seville, told elDiario.es. “They have been seeing the wolf’s ears for a long time and the social reaction is growing.”

Bulls and childhood. Another key to the Seville initiative is that it targets younger children, as highlighted by the organisation, which emphasizes that it will provide free access to audiences “between the ages of zero and eight”. PACMA assures elDiario.es that there are no restrictions on the entry of children to bullfighting shows in Andalusia. Restrictions only apply in certain situations, such as registration for a bullfighting class, participation in celebrations or practical classes.

A year ago, bullfights became the protagonist of another debate after bullfights for minors were broadcast on Kanal Sur. And just a decade ago, Utrera was at the epicenter of another when it announced it would ban children under seven from access to bullfighting shows. The Sevillian town backed down.

Image | Arild Andersen (Flickr)

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