{"id":49185,"date":"2025-05-17T21:40:23","date_gmt":"2025-05-18T01:40:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/bullfighting-devotees-in-mexico-say-recent-bans-harm-a-sacred-tradition\/17\/05\/2025\/"},"modified":"2025-05-17T21:40:23","modified_gmt":"2025-05-18T01:40:23","slug":"bullfighting-devotees-in-mexico-say-recent-bans-harm-a-sacred-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/bullfighting-devotees-in-mexico-say-recent-bans-harm-a-sacred-tradition\/17\/05\/2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Bullfighting devotees in Mexico say recent bans harm a sacred tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n<\/p>\n

\n

Mar\u00eda Teresa Hern\u00e1ndez<\/strong>
Associated Press<\/em><\/p>\n

AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico \u2014 Mexican matador Diego Silveti performs a ritual ahead of each bullfight<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In each hotel room where he dresses in the garment that may bring him glory or death, he sets up an altar where he leaves his wedding band and prays before heading to the arena.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy leaving my ring behind, I\u2019m telling God: Here\u2019s everything I am as a father, a husband, a son and a brother,\u201d Silveti said. \u201cI commit to what I was born to be \u2014 a bullfighter.\u201d<\/p>\n

He last encountered a bull in late April in Aguascalientes, a state in central Mexico where bullfighting is considered a cultural heritage. Weeks before, though, Mexico City lawmakers banned<\/a>\u00a0violent bullfighting in the nation\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n

While matadors there are still allowed to fight bulls, piercing their muscles with laces or running a sword through their body is prohibited under that ban.<\/p>\n

Animal rights advocates celebrated the ruling and Environment Secretary Julia \u00c1lvarez said the lawmakers made history. But matadors like Silveti, as well as fans and cattle breeders, contend this long-time Spanish tradition<\/a> bears a profound significance<\/a> that would be undermined if bulls can’t be killed in the arena.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat they propose goes against the essence and the rituals of bullfighting,\u201d Silveti said. \u201cIt\u2019s a veiled prohibition that opposes the ways in which it has been done since its origins.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bullfighting in Mexico traces its roots to Spain<\/h3>\n

The European conquerors of Mesoamerican territories in the 16th century brought along Catholicism<\/a> and cultural practices that are now intertwined<\/a> with Indigenous customs.<\/p>\n

Researcher and bullfighting fan Antonio Rivera lives in Yucat\u00e1n<\/a>, a southeastern state where bullfights reflect ancient Mayan traditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn local celebrations, the roots of bullfighting are sacrificial rites,\u201d Rivera said. \u201cAncient cultures believed the gods requested sacrifices and blood fertilizes the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every year, the Yucat\u00e1n peninsula celebrates about 2,000 events featuring bulls, he said.<\/p>\n

In 2021, Yucat\u00e1n\u2019s Congress declared bullfighting part of its cultural heritage. It was a way to keep the ancestral memory alive, the official declaration said, and a way to honor its people\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I see a bull, I feel an immense devotion,\u201d Rivera said. \u201cIt\u2019s a mirror of myself. It\u2019s like looking at a living museum containing all the rituals from our collective memory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like father, like son<\/h3>\n

Instead of soccer balls, Silveti grew up playing with \u201cmuletas\u201d and \u201ccapotes\u201d \u2014 the brightly colored capes matadors use to channel the bull\u2019s charge.<\/p>\n

His father was one of Mexico\u2019s most beloved and renowned bullfighters. Until his death in 2003, fans called him \u201cKing David\u201d and many remember him fondly when his son is in the ring.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one asked us where we wanted to be born,\u201d Silveti said. \u201cThe love towards the bull and the feast of bullfighting has been my life and my ancestors’ life.\u201d<\/p>\n

His grandfather and his father before him were also matadors. Silveti emphasizes that his sons \u2014 now ages 6 and 2 \u2014 will decide their profession, but he would proudly support them if they followed in his footsteps.<\/p>\n

Neither the boys nor his wife watch him at the bullring, but Silveti conveys his passion in other ways. His family often visit ranches where bulls are breed. Occasionally, with his sons in his arms, Silveti bullfights baby cows.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy youngest loves it,\u201d the matador said. \u201cWhen he watches a bullfight, he plays with a napkin or a cloth and says \u2018Ol\u00e9!\u2019 How is that possible?\u201d<\/p>\n

Each bullfight has its rituals<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe King\u201d was no longer alive when Silveti became a professional bullfighter in Spain in 2011, but he senses his father’s presence constantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel his spirit in my soul,\u201d Silveti said. \u201cOn certain days, when I\u2019m alone and focused, I try to speak to him and follow his example.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a child, Silveti never watched his father at the ring. He stayed home with his mother and brothers. With no social media at hand to monitor live updates, they asked God to protect him.<\/p>\n

Many matadors, like Silveti, pray ahead of each bullfight. At the Aguascalientes plaza, the Rev. Ricardo Cu\u00e9llar blesses them.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy job is to attend the religious needs of the bullfighting family,\u201d Cu\u00e9llar said. \u201cNot only matadors, but also aficionados, those selling food at the arena and the bullfighters\u2019 assistants.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Tauromaquia Mexicana, Mexico\u2019s biggest bullfighting organization, more than 20,000 jobs depend on this tradition.<\/p>\n

A take on bulls<\/h3>\n

One of the organizations opposed to violent bullfighting, Cultura sin Tortura, was pleased by the Mexico City measure and said it would continue its efforts elsewhere. Another half a dozen Mexican states have also imposed bans.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will keep advocating for the prohibition, given that no animal must be seen as entertainment,\u201d the group said on social media.<\/p>\n

Cattle breeders, meanwhile, say they view bulls not as sources of income but as fascinating creatures they spend years caring for. Manuel Sescosse, who owns a ranch, said that breeding this specific type of bull is as thrilling as bullfighting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey must look good at the arena,\u201d Sescosse said. \u201cOffensive but noble. They must charge and simultaneously spark a sensitivity driving the crowds to deep emotion.\u201d<\/p>\n

The perfect bull for a fight is 4 or 5 years old and weighs between 900-1,200 pounds.<\/p>\n

According to Sescosse, each rainy season a bull is mated with 30 cows and their offspring are carefully monitored. Most receive a name. All are fed exclusively with grass and large areas are secured for them to exercise and grow strong. At the proper age, only a handful will be selected for bullfighting.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou watch them since they are born and become calves and grow,\u201d Sescosse said. \u201cThat affection grows when they turn out good for a bullfight, leave a mark and are revered.\u201d<\/p>\n

Long live Centinela<\/h3>\n

Not everyone attending bullfights is drawn to the sacred aspect, but some do find deeper purpose.<\/p>\n

Daniel Salinas says matadors follow strict norms to demonstrate their appreciation toward the bull’s life, even as they end it. \u201cWe celebrate death deriving from a rite in which a human being confronts a wild animal,” he said.<\/p>\n

At Aguascalientes, when his second bull died, Silveti caressed him and respectfully closed his eyes before stepping out of the arena.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m aware the bull is offering me everything he has and I\u2019m also willing to present him with my life,\u201d Silveti said. \u201cI\u2019ve been gored 13 times and I\u2019ve taken those hits willingly because I do this for a bigger purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

It rarely happens, but when a bull has a unique, artistic connection with its matador, his life is spared. Instead of a sword, he gets a \u201cbanderilla\u201d (a dart-like stick). Then he returns to his ranch and breeds a progeny that fans will revere.<\/p>\n

Following Silveti\u2019s performance in Aguascalientes, Spanish matador Alejandro Talavante faced one of those bulls.<\/p>\n

Centinela \u2014 pitch-black hide, four years old, 1,140 pounds \u2014 won the fans’ hearts as Talavante\u2019s passes made him spin and dance. The matador aimed to kill more than once, but the crowd pleaded for him not to. And in the end, the judge indulged.<\/p>\n

Centinela gave a final, vigorous run and vanished through the tunnel while thousands cheered. It was a day of glory for him as well.<\/p>\n

\n