The state of Sonora, in the west of Mexico, with 3 million inhabitants, has just banned the bullfight within the jurisdiction, the first Mexican state to do so. Sonora is one of the biggest states and one of the most densely populated.
The local Congress voted unanimously for a new animal protection law – sponsored by the Partido Verde Ecologista de México (PVEM) – Green Ecology Party of Mexico – banning the bullfight in all its forms.
The law also obliges communities to provide free sterilisation for companion animals.
Fines of up to 400 days of salary may be imposed and prison of up to four years in cases of non-compliance.
The new law will be enforced in the state of Sonora three days after its publication in the Official Gazette.
We shall write to thank the congressman, pointing out, however, the need to extend judicial protection to all animals; cockfighting, horse shows and circuses with animals are unfortunately not affected by this legislation.
~ Animanaturalis Mexico : http://www.animanaturalis.org/home/mx
Our friend Ara Ferris, Mexican ambassador for World Animal Day, describes this as a great step forward and also reports that four towns in the state of Veracruz are already anti-corrida: Teocelo, Fortín de las Flores, Xalapa and Boca del Río.
No more of this in Sonora…