February 2013.- Ngo ADDA Ong argues its refusal to declare bullfighting the status of a protected national intangible cultural heritage – Bien de Interés Cultural - BIC , through this statement and a petition that will be handing in to members of the Spanish government and the Parliament.

The Spanish government plans to start the proceedings to approve a Popular Legislative Initiative, ILP, promoted by the bullfighting lobby to declare bullfights, a spectacle which is based on the slow suffering and death of the bulls, the status of a protected national intangible cultural heritage. This is a stale and unjustifiable decision, which aims to defend these bloody spectacles despite the fact that they are increasingly criticized and rejected by Spanish people.

The BIC aims even more to encourage this bloody practice by promoting it in schools and universities and by increasing subsidies which will benefit the bullfighting lobby interests. Giving these subsidies will be to the detriment of other more progressive and modern initiatives.

The protection of bullfighting in the XXI Century is opposed to the values of a modern society. In the current context of social evolution, any minimally progressive and civilized country cannot justify or assimilate the imposition of a violent and bloody activity with legal and cultural excuses.

Neither the Spanish Parliament or any other institution responsible for ensuring and representing the citizens, can ignore or forget that, currently, the attitudes that are more valued by the general public at a Spanish, European and International level, are clearly focused on the defense of human rights and the protection of nature and animal rights.

Neither can the severe economic circumstances in Spain and its impact on employment, education, health and housing be ignored.

Nonetheless, we are astonished at what happened in the Spanish Parliament where the pro-bullfighting ILP was debated, was defended by the majority of MPs and finally passed for its procedure although more than sixty other ILPs that have been submitted so far did not merit the opportunity to be taken into consideration.

We raise our loudest formal protest to the Spanish government for processing such a regressive proposal, granting privileges to a private , decadent and unjustifiable business which is unable to sustain itself. We object that they want to involve these bloody spectacles in the development of education and culture. We also object to this move for encouraging animal abuse, for not wanting to hear, or understand the wish of the majority of citizens and for using its power and influence to interfere with the ethical and moral progress of the whole society.

Citizens deserve to have their votes and their voices heard and to have the representation and respect that is due s from a state that wants to consider itself “democratic”.