Colombian top court upholds bans on bullfights, cockfights & steer-tailing

Judges extend premise of 2024 bullfighting ban to all forms of making animals fight for human entertainment

BOGOTA,  Colombia––Bullfighting,  cockfighting,  steer-tailing,  and related activities are now illegal in Colombia.

The Plenary Chamber of the Constitutional Court of Colombia on September 4,  2025 upheld a bullfighting ban,  Law 2385,  signed into law in July 2024 by Colombian president Gustavo Petro.

The majority opinion authored by Justice Miguel Polo Rosero then interpreted the letter of the law to extend by implication to all other forms of animal fighting for entertainment.

Law 2385,  as adopted,  included a fourth paragraph of Article 3 of the law,  which stated,  “horseback riding,  bullfighting,  corralejas,  and cockfights will be excluded from the prohibition,”  but the Constitutional Court of Colombia struck down the exclusions.

“Animal abuse violates human dignity”

“The Constitutional Court based its decision on the unshakeable premise that the animal abuse inherent in these activities violates the constitutional principles of human dignity and the well-being of living beings,”  explained Claudia Villada for Casanare Online.

“The court refused to accept that animal suffering could be protected under the pretext of ‘cultural tradition,’  prioritizing animal protection,”  Villada wrote.

“For example,  coleo,  an equestrian activity that involves bringing down a bull by grabbing his tail from a horse,  was specifically singled out.  The court also dismissed concerns about local economic impact as a valid reason for perpetuating animal suffering,”  Villada wrote.

“Justice cannot tell the world that killing sentient beings for fun is culture”

Declared Gustavo Petro when endorsing the bill into law,  “Justice cannot tell the world that killing sentient beings for fun is culture.  If we amuse ourselves by killing an animal,  we also amuse ourselves by killing humans,”  recalled Victor Cohen for Colombia One.

“The initial ban included all forms of bullfighting,”  Cohen continued,  “including the rejoneo, which involves the bullfighter riding a horse,  the becerrada,  which involves calves instead of bulls, and the novillada,  which involves novice bullfighters facing young bulls.

“Corralejas,  an extremely popular activity on Colombia’s Caribbean Coast,”  Cohen detailed,  “involves a fight between bulls and horse riders trying to kill the animals. In addition,  the public is invited to participate and can freely join the arena.  As they taunt the bulls,  bold participants try to avoid their charges.

“Corralejas are extremely dangerous,”  Cohen said,  “and have caused several fatal incidents,”  including “a decade ago in Arjona,  where a bull killed two and severely injured 15.”

Ban comes with three-year phase-in

“Considering that these activities generate significant economic activity on which thousands of individuals depend,”  Cohen added,  “the Constitutional Court confirmed a three-year period to ensure professional and cultural transition toward other activities.”

Elaborated Jhon Jairo Bonilla for El Universo,  “The law signed by President Gustavo Petro in July 2024 established a three-year transition period to design an economic restructuring program for those affected by the cessation of bullfighting,  and is expected to take effect in 2027.”

Reported Bogota-based Caracol Radio,  “Carlos Muñoz,  a lawyer and animal rights activist from Cúcuta,  stated that this is ‘The most important ruling in the entire history of the Constitutional Court regarding animal protection.’

“Particularly impacts cockfighting”

“In Norte de Santander,  the measure particularly impacts cockfighting,”  Caracol Radio noted,  “which is still common in the Cúcuta metropolitan area,  as well as some bullfighting events held in municipalities within the Norte de Santander region.”

Said Muñoz,  “These sectors must be characterized and supported in a transition plan that guarantees their economic and employment sustainability.  It is possible to do so in an orderly and dignified manner.”

Added Caracol Radio,  “The lawyer also warned about the possibility of increasing the clandestine nature of these practices in the border region,  especially considering that bullfighting venues still exist in San Cristóbal,  Venezuela,”  a border city which is to Colombia somewhat as Tiajuana,  Mexico is to the United States.

Only seven nations still allow arena bullfighting

Observed Jhon Jairo Bonilla,  “Colombia was among eight countries that allowed arena bullfighting as a legal activity,  along with Spain,  Portugal,  France, Ecuador,  Mexico,  Peru,  and Venezuela.

“Bullfighting and cockfighting have been a controversial topic on the country’s political and legislative agenda in recent years,”  Bonilla recalled,  “with several attempts to ban them made,”  before the 2024 law passed.

“Traditionally popular in Colombia,”  Bonilla wrote,  “bullfights  have been losing popularity and are now only held in the bullrings of Cali and Manizales,  the city with the largest following in the country,  as well as in some provincial towns.”

Garbled announcement

The announcement of the Constitutional Court of Colombia verdict on bullfighting,  cockfighting,  and steer-tailing was initially garbled,  Colprensa reported,  by “an error in the draft verdict initially released by the court sparked a heated debate in the country.

“For several hours,”  Colprensa said,  and other Colombian media confirmed,  “animal rights organizations and animal rights activists celebrated what they believed to be a ban on horseback riding.

“However,  the high court later clarified,  Colprenza explained,   “that horseback riding is not among the banned activities.”

“The error highlighted the complexity of the debate,”  Colprensa assessed.   “On the one hand,  animal rights groups considered the correction a step backward from what they had already taken for granted.  On the other hand,  equestrian and livestock unions welcomed the clarification,  recalling that the law itself expressly excluded horseback riding from the general ban.”

Meaning for the U.S.

The Constitutional Court of Colombia prohibition of steer-tailing,  also known as coleo,  may have some precedential importance in the U.S. and elsewhere in Latin America.

“Steer tailing is one of Mexican-style charreada‘s nine standard events,  and one of the most brutal in all of rodeo/charreada,”  explained Action for Animals founder Eric Mills,  of Oakland,  California,  who has campaigned against steer-tailing for more than 35 years.

“The steers’ tails are routinely stripped to the bone,  or ‘degloved,’  broken,  even torn off.   Cripplings are common.  See the many Showing Animals Respect & Kindness on-line YouTube videos,  if in doubt,”  Mills testified.

“Two California counties,  Alameda and Contra Costa,   “outlawed this event in the early 1990s.  The State of Nebraska outlawed both steer-tailing and horse tripping,”  also a standard event in charreada.

“Illinois is #3 steer-tailing state,  after Texas & California”

“But steer-tailing’ is not a standard ranching practice anywhere,”  Mills emphasized.  “Even Cesar Chavez was an outspoken critic.  Neither custom nor tradition should ever trump animal welfare,”  exactly as the Constitutional Court of Colombia ruled on September 4,  2025.

“Shortly after California outlawed horse tripping,  in 1994,”  Mills remembered,  “the
U.S. Charro Federation changed its rules for the entire country.  Any state-wide ban on steer tailing would likely have the same impact.”

Illinois,  according to Mills,  “is the #3 steer-tailing state in the country,  after Texas and California.”

Some recent success

Campaigning against steer-tailing in Illinois since 2022,  Showing Animals Respect & Kindness founder Steve Hindi on September 6,  2025 celebrated some apparent success.

“Brutal steer tailing events, while far from over,  are becoming fewer and farther between this season,”  Hindi emailed to supporters,  “as we relentlessly document and expose the illegal cruelty with our drones.

“A year ago,”  Hindi recalled,  “we were pounding five Illinois counties weekend after weekend,  with Boone County seeing the most activity.  Then Boone County sheriff Scott Yunk stepped up and started filing cruelty charges.

“Additionally,  we found that a number of steer tailing properties were violating various zoning ordinances,  so the steer tailers were knocked down in Boone County.

“Boone County is quiet,  at least for now”

“Today Boone County is quiet,  at least for now,”  Hindi said,  “as is Will County.  DeKalb County has had just one event,  and we are pushing for criminal charges.  McHenry County is also running an investigation following its last event.

“We will update you when possible on these cases,”  Hindi pledged,  “both of which should result in criminal charges.

“Ogle County,  which is now the worst of the worst,  has done nothing to stop the steer-tailing abuse,”  Hindi continued,  “and yet,  there are far fewer steer-tailing events happening there.

“The most recent Ogle County event was on August 31,  2025,”  Hindi said.

“Abusers have felt our pressure”

“There were more animal injuries,  but the abusers have felt our pressure.  There was an as yet unidentified veterinarian present,  although we cannot say if the vet is properly licensed,  and only some of the animals were treated.

“Some lamed steers were re-abused after incurring injuries that left them still mobile and able to run,”  Hindi alleged.

“The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office,”  Hindi charged,  “was predictably worthless when we called to report the violations of Illinois humane laws.”

Those violations would be violations as well now if committed in Colombia,  not far from where coleo reputedly originated,  on the cattle-ranching plains of Venezuela,  according to a 2006 report by Simon Romero for The New York Times.

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