I thought you might be interested to read this piece by Oscar van Gastel which he has posted on Animal Welfare Support Murcia on facebook. Although it refers to bull fighting, it could also apply to all animals used in fiestas, plus the Spanish hunting dogs.

Do you still wonder why the Spanish Authorities do not act against Animal abuse?

Read my translation of this article.

The ministre of Culture, José Ignacio Wert, considers Bullfights as ‘Cultural Heritage’, although the state subventions are not public. The Party for Animals PACMA estimates that 600 Million Euros is spent YEARLY to promote this torture.http://www.pacma.es/n/12191-2- The president of the Senate, Pío Garcia Escudero, says that ‘The celebration of bullfights is culture and should be protected’.

Garcia-Escudero: ‘The celebration of bullfights is culture and should be protected’. The President of the Senate defends, after listening to the words spoken by ‘master Padilla (remark: see below)’, that it is about a ‘philosophy of life’.The president of the Senate, Pio Garcia-Escudero, pronounced this on the 12th March 2012 at an inaugural conference of the XVIII Bull conference which will continue until Thursday 25th March at the University Campus.

Also present will be the National representative Aurelio Romero, vice rector of the Social projection, Cultural and International of the UCA, Matina Gutiérrez, General Director of Spectacles, Luis Partida, Director of the School for Bullfighting, Eduardo Ordoñez and Juan Jose Padilla. In his speech Pio Garcia Escuero emphasized that ‘this celebration is an art, it is culture and therefore should be protected, it is also a philosophy of life, a point of view which I am even more confident about after listening to the words of master Juan José Padilla’. Garcia Escudero praised the right-handed bullfighter affirming that ‘Juan José Padilla is not a hero, as some communication media mentioned, but a bullfighter by all means and an example for all of us’.

During his visit to Jerez (Cadiz) last year in the Museum for Bullfighting, Garcia Escudero already showed political will to ‘support the celebration of bullfights by declaring it as Cultural Interest’ if he should win the general elections. ‘There will be broadcasts of bullfights on public television . And those broadcasts will be of quality’ assured the president of the Senate.

The Mayor of Jerez, Maria José Garcia-Pelayo, pointed out the presence of the President of the Senate and vice-president of the Parliamentary Association of Bullfighting to open this edition of this conference, ‘ We appreciate that you accepted this invitation because of your knowledge and direct implication with the world around bullfighting, of which you are a great defender’, commented the Mayor (Partido Popular).

Maria José Garcia Pelayo remarked that ‘This Town Hall supports all work around these celebrations, because its roots are in our territory, where we raise bulls, with breeders of national prestige, and with a long and intense tradition of bullfighting. To honour them we clearly support initiatives on national and international level to consider bullfighting as Inmaterial Heritage, as well as the actions taken to value it as cultural gift, which is being stimulated by the Ministry of Education and Science’.

NOTE: Juan José Padilla is a Spanish bullfighter who was severely hurt during a bullfight, he lost one eye, was honoured by the Spanish Television several times.