HIDALGO, Mexico—Momentum is building to ban bullfighting in the state of Hidalgo, which could become the seventh state in Mexico to prohibit the practice. Yesterday, as part of its ongoing efforts to support legislative action against bullfighting, Humane World for Animals provided scientific and technical background at the first-ever bullfighting forum held at the Congress Tower of the State of Hidalgo. The forum focused on the development of a formal bill to address bullfighting, and the promotion of informed and transparent deliberation by lawmakers, incorporating a variety of concerns related to animal welfare, public health, and the prevention of violence
Humane World for Animals provided its expertise and specialized scientific input. Dr. Claudia Edwards, program director at Humane World for Animals Mexico and co-author of the bullfighting analysis published by the Environmental and Land Use Attorney’s Office of Mexico City (PAOT), helped strengthen the scientific foundation of the discussion. The organization also submitted a formal technical opinion to the Congress, integrating evidence from ethology, physiology, forensics and animal welfare sciences, based on peer-reviewed literature and institutional sources. This document supports the development of a robust legislative proposal aligned with animal welfare principles within the current legal framework.
“We are hopeful that Hidalgo will join the growing number of states that have already moved to prohibit bullfighting, including Sonora (2013), Guerrero (2014), Coahuila (2015), Quintana Roo (2019), Sinaloa (2022) and Michoacán (2025), as well as Mexico City, where legislative change has effectively resulted in the cessation of bullfights,” says Dr. Claudia Edwards, “Under Mexico’s Constitution, there is a duty to prevent animal abuse, and we trust that Hidalgo will uphold this mandate. Forums like this show that meaningful legal reform is both achievable and effective in advancing animal welfare.”
The event brought together more than 100 national experts, civil society organizations and lawmakers to examine legal, ethical and scientific arguments against bullfighting, as well as its impact on children and adolescents and its environmental and economic effects in the state of Hidalgo.
Speakers at the opening session included members of local Congress Paloma Barragán Santos and Avelino Tovar Iglesias, activists Arturo Berlgana, director of AnimaNaturalis Mexico and Sandra Segovia; as well as academic experts.
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