Colombia bans bullfighting from 2026 onwards. As recently as 2018, the Constitutional Court recognized bullfighting as part of Colombia's cultural tradition, and around 300 events are held in the country every year.
In front of a crowd gathered at the bullfighting arena in the capital Bogota on Monday, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro celebrated the abolition of the right to kill animals for entertainment.
If we have fun when we kill animals, we will have fun when we kill people, he said in a speech.
Tens of thousands of Colombians work in the bullfighting industry, and according to the bill, the state will be required to help them find alternative means of livelihood.
Colombia's Congress voted through the bill at the end of May, but it required the President's approval to come into effect.
The legislation also paves the way for bullfighting arenas to be converted into cultural or sports arenas.
Colombia is today one of only eight countries in the world where this controversial sport is still practiced. Several South American countries, including Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Guatemala, have introduced bans.
