To
the President Government of Spain
Mr. José Luis Rodríguez Zapateroatero
Through numerous individuals and animal protection organizations I have been made aware of the many campaigns and demonstrations being carried out in countries all over the world, clamouring for the abolition of bullfights and the prohibition of festivals using bulls and other animals. The long tradition of these cruel spectacles and the exporting of them to other countries is not sufficient to justify a modern society such as Spain continuing to torture animals.
These actions denigrate us as citizens in comparison to the rest of Europe, and our children grow in an atmosphere of cruelty and indifference to animals, which contradicts our vision of ourselves as people who are intelligent and respectful. You are the Leader of a progressive government which has boldly made very important changes in Spanish society, changes which would not have taken place if you had been influenced by 'long traditions'. But in spite of this, when it comes to animal rights there has been no progress at all, and the country is still mired in the past. The Law for the Protection of Animals in Spain excludes fighting bulls. The systematic torture of these animals is regulated, but this does not in any way diminish their suffering.
As for the bull festivals celebrated in many towns and cities as popular events, these do not even respect the Regulations and Standards Relating to Bullfighting, which prohibit the bull from being abused and from being killed in public. The festivals of the Bull of Coria (Toro de Coria - Cáceres) and the Bull of La Vega (Toro de la Vega - Tordesillas), to cite just two examples, fall very short of compliance with these regulations, and parade to the world the great shame of Spain, which is possibly one of the countries where animals in general receive the worst treatment.
Mr. Head of Government, I am convinced that you know that the future must bring the abolition of bullfighting; convinced that you have not yet taken a stand on animal rights with the same courage that you have shown regarding the rights of other beings who have been ill-treated because of economic interests and institutional pressures; convinced that one day you in all honesty will publicly beg pardon for the suffering caused to the animals, as well as the citizens who have been so violently offended by these practices.
I ask you to order the abolition of bullfights and festivals that use bulls and other animals. This would not only put an end to the suffering of these noble animals, but it would be to the great benefit of the country you govern, whose principal income derives from tourism, particularly bearing in mind that the present situation does little to put Spain in a good light.
Yours sincerely,
Citizens for the Rights of Nature and Life
Athens, Greece
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