Toro de Fuego - animal abuse

From Wikepedia;
A toro de fuego ("fire bull"), also known as vaca loca ("crazy cow") in Peru and Ecuador, is a festive activity in which a bull-resembling metal frame, with fireworks attached to it, is set alight, and then a person carrying the frame runs around town at night as if chasing people in the streets. Participants dodge the bull-frame when it comes close, especially because the burning fireworks set off sparks that can cause small burns in people's skin or clothes. This activity is held in a number of Spanish towns during their local festivals. It is possible that this custom originated in the Toro embolado, in which a real bull is involved.

Toro de Fuego, as fairly well described in the original post, still happens in certainly one town in Spain once a year. I am surprised no reference is made to the hundreds of corridas (bullfights) which take place annually, when up to six bulls, are tortured to death each time.
Neither need be a topic of conversation and neither are supported by right thinkers who are the vast majority of Spain's population.

I did a little research and you’re right in saying that support of bullfighting in Spain is in the minority … but it appears to be a very large minority:

Opinion polls on bullfighting are rare in Spain. The last time the government’s CIS public opinion research body asked about the practice was in 1995, when 45.5% said they were in favour and 39.9% against. A 2010 Metroscopia poll for the newspaper El País found that 60% of Spaniards said they did not like bullfighting, but nearly the same number disagreed with the Catalan ­parliament’s decision taken that same year to abolish corridas in the region.
http://www.newsweek.com/2014/12/05/spanish-bullfighting-its-way-out-288184.html

“the bullfighting supports a $2 billion industry employing over 100,000 people”
“September 2012. Following a decision by the ruling conservative party, Partido Popular (PP), bullfighting has now returned to the state run public television (TVE).”
http://www.spainthenandnow.com/spanish-culture/bullfighting-in-spain/default_8.aspx

Madrid's bullring hosts half a dozen fights this weekend. Out of 24,000 seats, 20,000 tickets have already been sold.
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/28/140889324/bullfighting-in-spain-stays-alive-despite-regional-ban

Of course, factory farming in the U.S. is far more cruel. But the difference is that almost all Americans are appalled by it (hypocritical as that may be) and don't consider it a tradition or source of national pride.

Bullfighting is still very popular in some regions and very unpopular in others. I believe Catalonia banned it and the bull ring is now a shopping mall.

This Toro de Fuego is one event in one small city. I can understand people objecting to it, fair enough (from the headline I saw in the NYT, MANY Spanish have objected to it). But why condemn an entire nation? By that standard, it would be hard to travel anywhere.

I understand the majority of Spanish people are against bullfighting but when I see figures that state almost half the population approves of it, that’s a significant percentage, not an isolated minority.

I’m not condemning an entire nation; I’m asking what makes so many people who embrace Spanish culture numb to the animal cruelty inflicted during bullfighting — fair question.

A fair question and one which may be best answered by asking it yourself while traveling throughout Spain.

I’m asking what makes so many people who embrace Spanish culture numb to the animal cruelty inflicted during bullfighting — fair question.

I embrace Spanish culture, but I am not numb to the animal cruelty of bullfighting. I don't think it's fair to assume that I am (or that anyone who likes Spanish culture is by default). Bullfights still exist but you do not need to be exposed to them at all. The season is short, in any case, so you might not even be there during that part of the year. I don't have ANY Spanish friends who approve (or ever did) of bullfighting, and I have a fair number of Spanish friends. One of the corridas in Barcelona is, indeed, a shopping mall now, and another is used as an outdoor venue for concerts. The opinion poll that you quote is from TWENTY years ago. And as for the 2010 objection to doing away with bullfighting in Catalonia, keep in mind that they were talking about jobs and the economy. Spain's economy has been in shambles for years. Regardless of someone's opinion of the practice, no one wanted to see jobs go away.

So, if I may, LB, and I ask this with all due respect: are you actually considering travel to Spain? If you did not travel to Spain, might you choose instead to travel somewhere else, and are you examining other countries' customs/"sporting events"/etc in the same fashion before adding that country to a list of potential destinations? It seems that nearly every country could/does have an issue which one could object to and therefore be taken off the list; isn't the point of travel to experience other cultures and all (or much) that that brings? France, like the U.S., has quite an arms industry, but I still enjoy being there.

I'm curious as to your thoughts on this.

We also find bullfighting cruel and abhorrent and will avoid it entirely on our trip to Spain. We feel the same way about capital punishment but it won't keep us from returning to the U.S.

France would be off the list - fois gras.

England is off the list - fox hunting.

Hungary is off the list - mistreatment of war refugees.

US is off the list - a list way too long to type...

Funny (or not so funny). I just read a couple current article describing how as many as 60,000 greyhounds are being tortured to death annually in Spain.

It is a problem that national and local governments choose not to address. While some laws do exist concerning the mistreatment of animals, prosecution are extremely rare. It is just not something most people seem to care or worry about.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2899509/Horrific-truth-greyhound-breeding-Man-s-best-friend-TORTURED-cigarette-burns-acid-dumped-die-tunnels-hung-trees-left-broken-bones-starve-death-Spain.html

There is a very cruel custom amongst some Spanish hunters, or "galgueros," that destroys more than 50,000 galgos every year.

The galgos are greyhounds used for hunting, but most are used for only one season and then discarded. If they hunt poorly, they are tortured as retribution for the shame they reflected upon their owners.

“Indeed the government is reluctant to address the issue at all.There is a National Federation of Galgos that pervades all areas of society and has political influence. On a recent visit, a European Member of Parliament on a "parliamentary mission" met with the Mayor of Albacete in Andalusia to discuss the complaints. The meeting ended with the usual response: "From us, all galgueros are nice with their Galgos." Most complaints received from animal welfare groups are ignored and unanswered.

https://www.thedodo.com/the-pain-in-spain-the-saving-of-the-galgos-1102353256.html

Again, I’m not condemning the entire nation. But I see no reason to whitewash the very real problem of animal abuse. At the same time, I’m left wondering if the problem is much worse in Spain or if it just appears that way because of all the media attention.

This thread seems more like a crusade than a travel question. I think if you feel the way you do about bull-fighting and mistreatment of animals in Spain then maybe you should just pick another country to visit. Or maybe travel is not your interest at all.

I agree with Nancy. If the OP doesn't want to travel to Spain for reasons related to animal abuse there, then don't go. But the lighthearted responses are a sad reminder that if one looked closely at most countries, you'd find similar examples. Humans can be very unkind to other humans and to animals. Few places it seems are immune.

I think OPs question is absolutely fine.. and I think some folks are over reacting to it.. a bit defensive perhaps?

I agree bullfighting, torturing dogs..etc is disgusting. I also agree fox hunting is disgusting, same with any publicly sanctioned animal abuse or torture in any country . I feel no need to temper my opinion . I have not encountered any of these things myself.. and I have visited Spain twice now.. and plan on visiting again , likely next May.. but I would have no problem voicing my opinions there.. as I do here.. just like those who live there who oppose it likely do also.

I personally would not visit a town that had any such events.. therefore depriving them of my tourist dollars.. may not make a big difference but I think its still important to vote with your dollars as well as your voice.

Should add this.. I do not like the American gun laws.. they make me feel very unsafe.. and over the last 10-15 years I have visited less and less.. partly because I simply do not feel safe in the States.. so one can stay away from a place if not happy with what goes on there.

I also do not like human abuses that go on in some countries.. and would not choose to visit them either, ( for instance.. get this.. North Korea is trying to revive their tourist industry.. lol ) .. but some countries also have things I do not like,, I might still visit them, because in those cases the good outweights the bad.. I think the same way about Spain, I don't like bull fighting, but I don't think everyone that lives there does either.

Apologies to everyone for my long rant. I was just feeling burnt out and cynical about all the misery being inflicted around the world to people, animals, and the environment and didn’t want to support any of it, directly or indirectly. But of course, I’m living on this Earth so I need to readjust my main main focus toward what’s good while not disregarding the bad.

I'll take that as a no.