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COVID Threatens Spain's Centuries-Old Bullfighting Tradition

Graham Keeley

   MADRID - With a face mask covering his rugged good looks, Cayetano
   Rivera posed as part of a protest by Spanish bullfighters who believe
   the country's bloody spectacle is under threat.

   "Do not censure culture," read the message on the mask worn by Rivera,
   one of the country's most famous matadors, who appears as often in the
   glossy magazines as he does in the ring.

   Since the COVID-19 crisis prompted a nation lockdown, Spain's bullrings
   have remained empty, silencing a controversial part of the country's
   cultural life.

   The Running of the Bulls festival in Pamplona, which attracts tens of
   thousands from across the world every July, was among the headline
   festivals that were cancelled.

   Fighting Back

   Angered by the lack of financial help from the state as losses ran into
   the millions of dollars, bullfighters went on the offensive.

   "Bullfighting demands its place among the cultural industries due to
   its tradition, economic importance and social support," Rivera wrote on
   his Instagram account.

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