Animal rights party PACMA has issued a stark response after matador Morante de la Puebla was seriously injured in a goring at Real Maestranza of Sevilla.
Their message was short and pointed: ‘Duele? Al toro, siempre’ (Does it hurt? For the bull, always).
The comment came after widespread concern over the bullfighter’s injuries, which were described in medical reports as severe.
Morante suffered a deep goring to the anal and rectal area, requiring complex surgery and leaving him with a ‘very serious’ prognosis.
While expressing that they do not celebrate the injury, PACMA said the reaction highlights what they see as a double standard.
‘One accident vs ongoing suffering’
The party criticised the level of public and media attention given to the incident, arguing it contrasts sharply with what they describe as the routine suffering of bulls in the ring.
They say that while a single injury to a matador draws outrage, the prolonged pain inflicted on animals during bullfights remains widely accepted.
PACMA described bullfighting as the ‘normalisation of the torture of thousands of animals until a slow death’.
The group has long campaigned against the practice, calling for it to be banned entirely.
In an Instagram post, PACMA Sevilla said: ‘Let’s remember that six innocent bulls are tortured to death in every bullfight. They didn’t choose to be there; Morante did.
‘If bullfighting were banned, none of this would happen.
‘Let’s end this CRUELTY. It’s time for EVOLUTION.’
Political pressure
The party also criticised both national and regional authorities for continuing to support bullfighting, including through public funding.
They argue that attitudes are shifting in Spain and that institutional backing no longer reflects growing public opposition to the tradition.
