Victory! Michoacán Becomes the 6th State in Mexico to Ban Bullfighting

Victory! On April 2, Michoacán became the sixth Mexican state to ban bullfighting, following a decisive vote in Congress. The move comes just weeks after Mexico City also outlawed this cruel spectacle.

The ban was led by Representatives Giulianna Bugarini and Sandra Arreola Ruis, with support from organizations like Michoacán Sin Tauromaquia and the México Sin Toreo coalition. PETA Latino also played a big role, mobilizing supporters to flood the inboxes of Mexican politicians.

While bullfighting remains legal in 25 Mexican states, it has now been outlawed in Sonora, Guerrero, Coahuila, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, and Michoacán.

Public opinion in Mexico is shifting, with the vast majority of the population opposed to bullfighting (Reforma Diario, 2019). As momentum for kindness grows, more states will soon follow Michoacán’s lead in ending this relic of Mexico’s colonial past—but only if compassionate people keep speaking out and fight to the finish.  

Bullfighting is an antiquated display of violence and cruelty from a time when humans had far less understanding of animals and their needs. It is not “culture” or “tradition.”

Bulls—intelligent, social, and naturally peaceful—are forced into an arena, stabbed with lances, and pierced with sharp banderillas. Weak from blood loss, they are taunted before being killed with a sword. If that fails, their spinal cord is severed with a knife. Some remain conscious as their ears or tails are hacked off as “trophies” before their bodies are dragged away.

If you’re in Mexico, contact your representatives and urge them to support a full nationwide ban on bullfighting. Raise awareness by spreading the message to your family and friends. And never support events that exploit animals for entertainment.