From January 24 to 26, Terceira hosted an event dedicated to praising a practice legally considered cultural. From my point of view, and considering my convictions, the World Forum of Bullfighting Culture is a dark event, where those who still flag up the art of inflicting pain and suffering on animals (bulls and horses) solely for fun gather. That’s what it’s all about when we talk about “afición,” a word whose etymological origin is Spanish.

On the day the Portuguese Air Force had to supply the island of Flores with essential goods, the Secretary of Agriculture and Food spoke at the opening of the forum, clarifying the priorities of José Manuel Bolieiro’s regional government for the future of culture in the Azores.

Given the strong possibility that António Ventura will be a candidate for the Angra do Heroísmo City Council, we can’t rule out the possibility that he was reinforcing a kind of pre-election campaign at the time. Mr. Secretary, you may have forgotten about Portugal’s Sovereign Bodies. For this reason, I would remind you of point 1 of Article 110 of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, which says: “The organs of sovereignty are the President of the Republic, the Assembly of the Republic, the Government and the Courts…” It turns out the Secretary knew how to take advantage of the space, the audience, and the time to make his point, admitting that, and I quote, “the region could legalize the luck of the draw –sorte das varas.” with the current parliamentary framework.

In a brief review by the panel of guests, who presented fears and setbacks in the way bullfighting should be approached, and almost as if in fear, public subsidies were mentioned, which are fundamental to the dependence of a sector that only enriches the culture of a few nouveau riche and the few blue bloods we have left. We often hear the expression that the bulls go out to their masters. We wouldn’t wish this on the most liberal animals, judging by the economic discourse imposed on the Terceira island stage.

It is also important to look carefully at the conclusions of the forum. The authorities who signed the document are frightened of being attacked by governments who claim to be authoritarian and controlling. They have expressed their rejection of those who say that animals suffer, defending themselves because veterinary studies are more valuable than work carried out by psychics, given that any pain caused cannot be read on the lips of those who cannot speak since the work carried out by Illera has not been reviewed by scientific peers in this regard. On the other hand, these conclusions are also hopeful, given recent circumstances. What are these circumstances? They are not mentioned, but we can reveal them easily.

Bullfighting is umbilically linked to the most conservative ideology in civil society. It is kept afloat by puppet strings connecting it directly to the wealthiest classes and the centers of power of the most Salazar-esque Portuguese right. The defenders of the practice shield themselves in a cloak of cultural tradition that is as relevant as the tradition of segregating peoples in South Africa or the United States of America. The bosses shield themselves from the people’s taste for bullfighting, forgetting that this taste was instilled, insistently and for centuries, by the old barons, whose interest was to entertain the masses. From the circus in Rome to the square in Campo Grande, it’s not that big a leap. What they mean when they say that recent circumstances are better is that there are now more extreme right-wingers in power around the world. It’s as simple as that.

Returning to António Ventura’s statements, it should be noted that he spoke alongside Álamo Meneses in a clear union of mentalities between the two parliamentary groups that will decide the next local councils in Angra.

It turns out that Sorte de Varas is nothing more than an open act of massacre, which no one can defend as being innocent or harmful to the animals involved. The practice of bleeding is, of course, an abominable action that any civilization should repudiate without needing to be classified as extremist or radical. A professional trained in zootechnics should be obliged to shout loudly from the stage of the Cultural Center against such barbarity.

If the proposal to legalize Sorte de Varas/Corridas Picadas comes to fruition, this will be the fourth attempt, remembering that in 2002, it was rejected by the Constitutional Court; in 2009, it was dismissed in the ALRAA; and in 2015, it was withdrawn by the proponent due to strong pressure from civil society, which made itself heard.

We no longer have Zuraida Soares, Aníbal Pires, or Paulo Mendes in the Azorean parliament, but we have ladies and gentlemen sensitive to this issue. This won’t be hard to come by, given that one day, the Secretary in question claims that the Azores are at the forefront of animal welfare, and another day, he supports chopping up cattle.

We can only go back to a conclusion we found in one of the many propaganda reports in favor of this forum. Its author said that whatever happens worldwide, Angra do Heroísmo will continue to be bullfighting. It’s impossible not to remember Salazar’s statement about his colonial policies when confronted with the rest of the world. How long will Angra remain proudly alone? Who among us would wish for an archipelago where it is legal for the blood of bulls and horses to stain a region that wants to assert itself through the specificities of its nature?

Bolieiro’s (president of the government of the Azores) and Sofia Ribeiro’s (secretary of education and culture) silence on this matter is still embarrassing. In addition to the positions taken by the BE and PAN, we await the position of the other parties with parliamentary seats and the action of all the people who are against the Sorte de Varas.

I’d like to remind you that this issue concerns not only Terceira Island but also the entire archipelago and Portugal.

There is a petition going around. Those who still want to have the courage to challenge this old authoritarian power should sign it on the Public Petition website.

Alexandra Manes is from Flores Island but lives in Terceira Island, Azores. She is a regular contributing writer for several Azorean newspapers, a political and cultural activist, and has served in the Azorean Parliament.

NOVIDADES will feature occasional opinion pieces from various leading thinkers and writers from the Azores to give the diaspora and those interested in the current Azores a sense of the significant opinions on some of the archipelago’s issues.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL).