After it became known that three bulls died in a bullfight on August 17 in Agualva, Praia da Vitória, on Terceira Island, the Azorean Left Bloc political party sent a request to the regional government to alert it to this situation and ask for clarification.

The party’s structure in the region explains that “this situation has sparked outrage from various people and animal movements, who claim that the animals died from injuries caused during the bullfight and have expressed their incomprehension at this outcome and the silence in the face of the death of these animals.”

The party argues that “these situations can in no way be considered ‘normal,’ as the welfare of these animals is at stake.” For this reason, the Bloquista MPs want to know what measures were taken by the authorities present at the scene and what steps will be taken by the regional government to prevent such situations from happening again.

In their request, they also ask for the medical-veterinary reports of the three animals that died and want to know “how many bulls have lost their lives due to injuries or any other situation related to bullfighting since 2018 in the Azores”, considering it “fundamental that occurrences in bullfighting are reported promptly.”

Another Political Party also calls for action to be taken…

“The PAN (Party of Animals and Nature) /Açores learned, through several complaints that reached it, that on August 17, a bullfight was held with pure bulls in the parish of Agualva, municipality of Praia da Vitória, where the animals were seriously injured and ended up dying as a result of the injuries caused,” says the party’s press release.

The MP stresses that “animal welfare standards are transversal to all animals, and bullfighting clashes with these standards; they are incompatible.”

Pedro Neves says that “what happened in Agualva, unfortunately, is not an isolated case” and that “the seriousness of the situation was such that not even the event promoters were able to drown out the cries of revolt from the population.”

PAN/Açores has a proposal pending consideration and voting in the Legislative Assembly to end bullfighting activities in the Azores.

On July 20, the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) opposed the legislative proposal, arguing that bullfights are “cultural spectacles” provided for in the constitution.

“It is considered a violation of a constitutional right. Culture cannot be defined by decree. The Portuguese Constitution defines freedom of access to culture, and as such, our opinion is contrary to the project presented to us here,” explained the regional secretary for Education and Cultural Affairs, Sofia Ribeiro, who was heard in the Azorean parliament’s Social Affairs Committee.

The regional secretary for Agriculture and Sustainable Development, António Ventura, who was also heard by the members of parliament, explained that bullfighting has more and more fans in the region, especially on the island of Terceira, where the tradition is more deeply rooted, with a significant impact on the regional economy.

From news reports in Azorean Press and Observador newspaper from Lisboa, Portugal

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Medial Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno.