Security & Strategic Review - May 2025

Bullfighting has been the subject of two key votes in separate state congresses in recent weeks. On 2 April legislators in Michoacán state voted to ban the practice, becoming the sixth of Mexico’s 32 states (including the capital city) to have prohibited bullfighting. This came shortly after a vote in the Mexico City (CDMX) congress on 18 March which banned traditional bullfighting, permitting instead a non-violent form. The rulings reflect a shift in perception among the public regarding bullfighting, which has been practiced in Mexico since the 1500s, while the CDMX ruling demonstrates an attempt to protect animal rights and also safeguard livelihoods attached to the bullfighting industry.