Applause swelled around Bogota's arena for the past month as Castrillon and other matadors taunted and dispatched bulls during the city's annual bullfighting festival. But animal rights activists, whose campaign is taking hold in a traditional bullfighting stronghold, point to the sparse attendances in the arena -- well short of the 10,000 clamoring aficionados that once filled it for the month-long festival. But now it's under so much criticism that there are increasing concerns among aficionados that bullfighting could be banned altogether. Andrea Padilla, spokeswoman for rights group AnimaNaturalis, said reopening the Santamaria Arena would not save bullfighting in Colombia. For now, campaigners are putting their trust in bullfighting finally being put to the sword during the upcoming election period.

Source: The Nation Bangkok February 23, 2018 05:26 UTC