Antonio Lorca: Bullfighting, cultural heritage? Go now…! | The bull, by the horns | Culture | EUROtoday

It was seen coming, however it’s no much less painful information as a result of it was anticipated: the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, has determined to suppress the National Bullfighting Award that since 2013 has yearly highlighted a related determine within the sector.

Paradoxes of life: the central authorities, which isn’t exactly characterised by its attachment to bullfighting, retains it within the Ministry of Culture, however appoints an brazenly anti-bullfighting minister, prepared, it appears, to do every little thing he can to it. potential injury.

And these autonomous communities which have turned the bullfight into an electoral banner, not exempt from political overtones, handle the bulls from ministries associated to safety, inside, atmosphere, agriculture, public service, presidency or justice, amongst others. departments.

Both the nationwide and regional Executives overlook the letter and spirit of Law 18/2013 of November 12 for the regulation of bullfighting as cultural heritage. In the preamble of that norm, the legislator states that “bullfighting is part of the common historical and cultural heritage of all Spaniards as an activity rooted in our history and our common cultural heritage.” Next, he emphasizes that “the cultural character of bullfighting is indisputable and deserves to be preserved as a treasure of our country; “It is an artistic manifestation in itself unrelated to ideologies.”

The regulation admits that “there is a consensus in the majority acceptance of the cultural, historical and traditional nature of bullfighting as an essential part of the Historical, Artistic, Cultural and Ethnographic Heritage of Spain; and, as such, it is the responsibility of the public powers to ensure the freedom of the creator and, in this case, the development of any artistic expression, such as bullfighting, and respect for it.”

“We can affirm,” concludes the preamble of the norm, “that bullfighting forms an unquestionable Spanish intangible cultural heritage, which we do not hold exclusively, but rather share with other places such as Portugal, Latin America and the south of France.”

“The cultural character of bullfighting is indisputable; “It is an artistic manifestation in itself unrelated to ideologies.” (Law 18/2013 of November 12)

Two years earlier than the promulgation of the regulation, authorized in the course of the time of Mariano Rajoy as president of the Government and with an absolute majority of the PP within the Congress of Deputies, the Government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, on the request of the then vp Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, determined to switch the bullfighting competitions from the Ministry of the Interior to the Ministry of Culture on the finish of July 2011, when this division was directed by Ángeles González Sinde. The reference of the Council of Ministers then indicated that it understood bullfighting “as an artistic discipline and a cultural product”, and regarded that the powers of the State to be able to promote and shield it “are, of course, correctly located in the Ministry of Culture.” . This division, the observe continued, “will be in charge of the promotion and development of this artistic discipline, the studies, statistics and analysis on the subject and also the registration of professionals in the sector.”

The determination of the central authorities, promoted months earlier than by a gaggle of main figures in bullfighting and businessmen within the sector, allowed some autonomies – all of which already had transfers in bullfighting issues – to go one step additional and elevate bullfighting to the consideration of Asset of Cultural Interest. This was determined in the identical 12 months 2011 by these of Castilla-La Mancha, Valencia and Madrid; Before, in 2010, Navarra had achieved it; in 2012, Murcia did it; in 2014, Castilla y León, and in 2018, La Rioja.

Since that switch in 2011, the Ministry of Culture yearly publishes bullfighting statistics and the registry of pros, however its job of promotion and promotion has been restricted to the annual award of one of many Fine Arts medals to some excellent bullfighter, follow which has been repeated since 1996, and the National Bullfighting Award, now suppressed by the Ministry.

And the Autonomous Communities referred to as 'bullfighting'?

All of them, no matter their political affiliation, get their mouths full when speaking concerning the bullfight as a cultural manifestation, its financial significance and dedication to the atmosphere, however they really feel deeply self-conscious on the subject of giving it its place. deserved within the Government's organizational chart and, in fact, after they should resolve which finances merchandise corresponds to the sector.

With the collaboration of the Toro de Lidia Foundation and the Ministry of Culture itself, it has been potential to arrange the next checklist on the situation of bullfighting within the group charts of the completely different autonomous communities thought of bullfighting.

Central Government (PSOE)

Culture Ministry.

Madrid (Popular Party)

Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Interior.

Andalusia (Popular Party)

Ministry of the Presidency, Interior, Social Dialogue and Administrative Simplification.

Valencia (Popular Party in coalition with Vox)

Department of Justice and Interior.

Department of Culture and Sports for the needs of promotion and promotion.

Castilla y León (Popular Party in coalition with Vox)

Office of the President.

Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Planning.

Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports for the needs of improvement and promotion.

Extremadura (Popular Party in coalition with Vox)

Ministry of Forest Management and Rural World.

General Directorate of Rural Infrastructure, Heritage and Bullfighting.

La Rioja (Popular Party)

Ministry of Health and Social Policies.

Games and Public Shows Service. General Directorate of Justice and Interior.

Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Sports and Youth for the needs of improvement and promotion.

Navarra (PSOE in coalition with Geroa Abai)

Department of the Presidency, Equality, Public Service and Interior.

Public Games and Shows Section belonging to the General Directorate of the Interior.

Basque Country (PNV in coalition with PSOE) (Before the final elections)

Security Department.

Games and Shows Management.

Murcia (Popular Party in coalition with Vox)

Ministry of the Presidency, Spokesperson and Foreign Action.

General Directorate of Local Administration.

Aragón (Popular Party in coalition with Vox)

Ministry of the Presidency, Interior and Culture.

Games and Public Shows Service. General Directorate of Interior and Emergency.

Castilla-La Mancha (PSOE)

Ministry of Finance, Public Administration and Digital Transformation.

Public leisure service and administrative authorizations. General Directorate of Civil Protection.

In 2011, the Government of Rodríguez Zapatero moved the bullfighting competitions from the Interior to Culture, contemplating bullfighting as a creative self-discipline and a cultural product.

It is placing that two of the communities through which the most important variety of celebrations are celebrated, Madrid and Andalusia, and the place their political leaders boast advert nauseam of unwavering assist for bullfighting as cultural heritage, preserve the bulls in departments that don’t have anything to do with Culture.

Carlos Novillo, Minister of the Environment, Agriculture and Interior of Madrid and bullfighting official on this Community, responded on February 23 to the query of why the bulls proceed to rely on the Interior: “They could be in Culture, of course, but That decision was made to take advantage of the synergies that arise from the regulation of popular celebrations, the appointments of commissioners as presidents of Las Ventas… And the breeding of the bull is very connected to the environment.”

Antonio Sanz, counselor of the Presidency, Interior, Social Dialogue and Administrative Simplification of the Junta de Andalucía, responded to the same question on April 12: “Well, historically, and in the majority of the autonomous communities, bullfighting competitions have been and They are in Interior. If we take them to Culture to appoint an anti-bullfighting minister, we are doing bad business. Wouldn't it be better to have a fully bullfighting Interior Minister? I think the important thing is not the name of the counseling, but the commitment. Furthermore, he has been in the Interior all his life.”

This neglect is not only the heritage of the Popular Party. In Castilla-La Mancha and Navarra, for example, PSOE executives have also not taken into consideration the cultural heritage of bullfighting.

Both of them, of course, flout the letter and spirit of Law 18/2013. If it is true that they are bullfighters, they are cheap, or their memory is so weak that they are unaware that bullfighting should be considered culture at the same level as other sectors of this industry.

Therefore, to all of them, centralist and regional politicians, we can say: Bullfighting, cultural heritage? Go now…!

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