Ecuador. – In recent years the anti-bullfighting movement has achieved very important victories in Ecuador, and continues to grow both in size and in quality. Groups such as PAE, Anima Naturalis, in Guayaquil, or ARCA in Cuenca, have joined efforts, and this has yielded results. In May, 2007 Baños de Agua Santo became the first anti-bullfighting municipality in America. Then, in 2008, an opinion poll commissioned by the PAE showed the following encouraging results:
- 74 % of the inhabitants of Quito do not like bullfights
- 83 % do not go to the bullfights
- And the most important thing: 61 % want these spectacles to be prohibited.
During the year 2008, the regulatory body of TV CONARTEL (National Council of Broadcasting and TV of Ecuador) imposed a prohibition of broadcasting bullfights during the times when children are likely to be watching (from 6 am to 9 pm), although this measurement still has not been fully implemented. Furthermore a local prohibition was imposed to prevent the entry of minors to a bullfight in Guayaquil, a prohibition that was enforced. Entire families were turned away when police officers placed in the doors of the temporary bullring (an adapted sports stadium) refused to allow the entry of children.
There is still a long way to go, the effort to incorporate a proper animal protection into the Ecuadoran Constitution has still not succeeded. Due to the meaningless insistence of the mayor, Guayaquil continues to organize bullfights, despite huge protests and bullfighting continues to be supported by big companies and elitist organisations such as Diner’s Club. Nevertheless, Ecuador is undoubtedly the Latin-American country that in recent years has made the most progress in the field of animal welfare and well-being.
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