Good News! Movistar Plus+ Will Stop Showing Bullfights
Following years of campaigning by PETA entities, Telefónica’s paid TV platform Movistar Plus+ will shut down its bullfighting channel, Canal Toros. The channel was vital in sustaining bullfighting, and this move will be a major blow to the industry.
This exciting development comes after animal defenders sent tens of thousands of e-mails to Telefónica and more than 800 animal protection groups from around the world, including PETA, fired off a letter to its president urging him to reject any plans to air the ritualistic killing of bulls.
This move is in line with public sentiment around the world. The majority of people in Spain and Latin America are against bullfighting and don’t want the bloody events to be televised. By no longer broadcasting bullfights, Telefónica is showing respect for their opinion and promoting a message of compassion.
Thank you to the 160,000 PETA entity supporters who took action and sent e-mails to Telefónica.
Ritualistic Killing of Bulls
Every year, thousands of bulls endure a prolonged, violent death in bullrings. Matadors on horseback or on foot drive lances and barbed sticks into each bull’s back before stabbing the tormented animal with a sword or dagger.
If the public praises the matador’s performance enough, he might cut off the dying bull’s ears and/or tail as a trophy – sometimes while the bull is still conscious.
Consign Bullfighting to the History Books
Bulls are sensitive, intelligent animals who have been known to enjoy solving complex problems. They love to play games with other members of their herd. It’s hard to believe that torturing and killing bulls in arenas is still legal anywhere in 2023, but these cruel displays still take place in eight countries: Colombia, Ecuador, France, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Spain, and Venezuela.
The number of bullfights has greatly reduced globally, and numerous cities and states around the world have imposed bans. More than 125 cities in Spain have banned or declared themselves against bullfighting, as have the Mexican states of Coahuila, Guerrero, Quintana Roo, and Sonora. In Colombia, the cities of Bogotá, Cartagena, and Medellín have imposed heavy restrictions that make holding these cruel events practically impossible.
How to Help
To shut the industry down completely, people everywhere must refuse to support this sordid spectacle. The vast majority of people in countries where bullfighting is happening are against slaughtering bulls for entertainment, yet tourism is still fuelling this bloodbath.
Most visitors who witness the cruelty of a bullfight never want to see one again. However, by that point, the money has been paid and the damage done – so please never attend a bullfight or a bull run.
Please spread the word and urge Spain’s prime minister to ban bullfighting altogether:
