Practitioners of bullfighting have continued to train in Mexico City's urban parks despite a local ban on the activity within the capital. Participants described the practice as a method of preparing for matches held in jurisdictions outside of the city where the sport remains legal.
The training sessions involve two people: one playing the bull by holding a set of real horns and the other acting as the matador using a fuchsia bullfighting cape. José Luis Herros, one of the participants, described the activity as the "ballet of death," stating that the purpose is to face fear and death using human intelligence against the bull's physical advantages.
Those who gather for these sessions are professional bullfighters who have sustained significant injuries during their careers. Luis Conrado, a participant, stated that a bull previously tore his chest in half during a match in which he continued to fight and ultimately "cut off an ear."
A person living in Mexico City would notice these training sessions in local parks, where the use of bullfighting equipment persists despite the legal restrictions on the actual events. The ban represents a shift in the legal rights of bullfighters within the district. The source does not provide details on the migration of the sport's revenue or spectators to surrounding regions.
The long-term status of bullfighting in Mexico remains subject to debate. The source did not report specific dates for future court hearings or a timeline for when the current ban might be reviewed or potentially extended to other regions. For now, practitioners continue to utilize public spaces for preparation while traveling outside the capital city to engage in the sport.