PETA Latino Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary: A Look at 10 Eye-Catching Demonstrations Throughout Its History
When PETA Latino was launched in 2013, it hit the ground running to advocate for animal rights in the Latino community and to help our fellow animals around the world. The group’s relentless work has greatly advanced animal rights in Latin America and the U.S.—and its colorful, showstopping demonstrations are a vital part of that work.
Over the last 10 years, PETA Latino has held countless passionate protests to speak up for all animals. Take a look at 10 iconic demonstrations throughout PETA Latino’s history.
PETA Latino Fervently Calls For Lolita’s Release
PETA Latino held numerous protests in behalf of Lolita the orca, who was imprisoned in a tiny tank at the Miami Seaquarium for more than 50 years. At one of these demos, protestors caused a stir on the streets of Miami—alongside Instagram sensation Natasha Araos De Miranda and former Miss Universe Alicia Machado—equipped with eye-catching signs and a giant, blow-up orca.
At another demo, a bodypainted “orca” plopped into a tiny bathtub in downtown Miami. The arresting visual display reminded passersby that Lolita had spent more than five decades in the smallest orca tank in the world—an experience akin to being confined to a bathtub for 50 years.
Protestors even marched on the side of a freeway in the city to display a massive banner that read, “Free Lolita”—proving to the Miami Seaquarium that they would never stop speaking up for the long-suffering orca.
In March 2023, after years of vigorous campaigning, The Dolphin Company—the Miami Seaquarium’s owner—announced plans to release Lolita to a seaside sanctuary. But on August 18, 2023, Lolita died—just months before her return to native waters. Honor her memory by refusing to buy a ticket to any marine park and by continuing to call for the development of coastal sanctuaries.
PETA Latino Arrives at the Latin Grammys in Style
At the 2019 and 2022 Latin Grammy Awards, PETA Latino went backstage in animal-friendly style. The group gave out faux-fur handbags and vegan leather wallets to endorse compassionate fashion, reminding movers and shakers in the Latin music scene that clothes and accessories shouldn’t be made from skin, fur, or any other material stolen from animals.
PETA Latino Feeds Communities With Vegan Feasts for Nochebuena
PETA Latino brought vegan feasts to major cities in Latin America and the U.S. in celebration of Nochebuena. The group spread holiday cheer across multiple cities with delicious vegan roasts, encouraging everyone to show empathy to animals by keeping them off their plates.
PETA Latino took over Wynwood Walls in Miami with a provocative performance that featured a nearly nude protester lying on a giant plate to urge passersby to think twice about the millions of pigs who suffer when they’re killed and served as a holiday meal. Protestors also took this Nochebuena demonstration to Bogotá, Chicago, Guadalajara, Medellín, Colombia, and Mexico City.
Nearly Nude Protesters Call On Forever 21 to Drop Wool
To urge Forever 21 to stop selling wool, PETA Latino’s nearly nude protesters took to the streets in Bogotá holding signs and bloody, sheared “sheep.” The shocking demonstration in the Colombian capital sent a message to the company and to consumers that the wool industry profits from the abuse and exploitation of gentle, sensitive sheep.
And at one of the busiest Forever 21 stores in a popular area of Mexico City, actor and activist Sofía Sisniega joined PETA Latino to protest the company’s use of wool, prompting many members of the media to witness the commotion.
PETA Latino’s ‘Bulls’ Tell the Peruvian Government to Ban Bullfighting
PETA Latino and its Peruvian partners at Acho Sin Toros have been fiercely protesting against bullfighting, a violent and cruel spectacle, for years—including at some of the country’s most prominent landmarks. In 2021, the groups demanded that the government not enshrine bullfighters as “artists” under Peruvian legislation. In 2022, protestors brought red smoke grenades, live music, and lively speeches to defend bulls at the Plaza de Toros de Acho, Lima’s most famous bullfighting ring.
PETA Latino’s massive campaigns against bullfighting have helped pave the way for groundbreaking victories: In Mexico, the states of Coahuila, Guerrero, Quintana Roo, and Sonora have banned bullfighting and Mexico City banned it “indefinitely” in 2022.
Additionally, PETA Latino’s joint push with over 800 animal protection groups from around the world resulted in an announcement by Movistar Plus+—a major streaming platform in Latin America and Spain—that it would no longer air bullfights on its Toros channel.
PETA Latino Mourns Animals Who Died at SeaWorld to Mark Día de los Muertos
In Orlando, Florida; San Antonio; and San Diego, PETA Latino held striking vigils in honor of the more than 500 dolphins and whales who have died at SeaWorld locations.
Protesters donning traditional face paint called for SeaWorld to release the animals still imprisoned at its marine parks to seaside sanctuaries.
PETA Latino Stages a Crime Scene for Victims of the Meat Industry
PETA Latino’s nearly nude, bloody protesters turned heads in the busy streets of Bogotá, Mexico City, and Miami to confront passersby with the cruelty of the meat industry. Supporters staged a realistic crime scene to represent how the meat industry slaughters billions of sensitive living beings every day.
Cancún Spay-a-Thon Clinics Help Sterilize More Than 2,800 Dogs and Cats
Since April 2021, PETA Latino has sponsored 11 spay/neuter clinics in the vicinity of Cancún, Mexico, to help combat the deadly companion-animal overpopulation crisis. During the latest event, the group helped to spay or neuter more than 600 dogs and cats, bringing the total number of animals who have been sterilized to more than 2,800—all at no cost to their guardians.
Attendees whose animals were sterilized received complimentary vegan meals, goodies, and vegan starter kits. The compassionate spay-a-thon clinics were also brought to Peru and Puerto Rico.
PETA Latino Confronts MSG Flavor Giant in Behalf of Mice
PETA Latino supporters in latex “mouse” masks gathered in Mexico City to condemn Ajinomoto Co. Inc.—the world’s largest manufacturer of monosodium glutamate (MSG)—for its deadly testing on mice, dogs, pigs, and other animals.
Protesters Paint the Streets With Anti-Speciesist Art
PETA Latino teamed up with Colombian street artist Praxis to paint the streets in protest of speciesism—the misguided belief that some sentient beings are more important than others. One of these massive campaigns targeted major designers such as Hermès, Gucci, Prada, and Louis Vuitton for their use of exotic skins. With the bold street art, PETA Latino reminded these companies that there’s nothing luxurious about the abuse and slaughter of reptiles in the exotic-skins industry.
Help PETA Latino Keep Up the Good Work
Stay up to date on PETA Latino’s compelling demonstrations by following the group on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. Help PETA Latino continue its vital work by offering a donation:
