In a almost empty bullring, the cruel traditions continue in Castellón

The AnimaNaturalis undercover team was in Vinaròs (Castellón) last Saturday, June 18, to record an embolador (fired bulls) champinship in the city. With a practically empty bullring, the organization for the defense of animals verified that cruel traditions with animals are only sustained by aid and subsidies, because "they are only a minority recreational activity, but imposed on the majority", as expresses Aïda Gascón, director of AnimaNaturalis in Spain.

The Valencian Community is the one that hosts the largest number of bullfighting celebrations in all of Spain, it is expected that by the end of 2019 they will reach the record number of 10,000 popular celebrations with bulls, cows and heifers. In this community, 20% of the festivities have historically corresponded to the modality of embolado bulls. In 2017, 1,973 shows of this type were organized (12), of which an increasing number corresponds to the so-called bull runs, common in various towns in Castellón, whose Provincial Council subsidizes bullfights with €100,000 each year.

“The fired bulls fans insist tirelessly that it is a popular show, fundamental to the identity of Valencians… but the reality is that it is only sick entertainment for a minority”, explains Gascón. “We have documented almost a hundred of this type of shows and we are convinced that the population would prefer concerts or family events paid for with public money, than these atrocities. What we saw in Vinarós is just a sample of this”, he adds.

At least 2,500 fired bulls are held each year in several Spanish municipalities. This type of tradition only occurs in municipalities in the provinces of Castellón, Alicante and Valencia, Tarragona and some bordering towns with the previous ones in the province of Teruel and Zaragoza.