The Council of Ministers bans bullfighting events that denigrate people with dwarfism
The Spanish government has detected that some municipalities are "taking advantage of legal loopholes" to violate the disability law.
BarcelonaThe Council of Ministers has banned any type of bullfighting spectacle that denigrates people with disabilities, and more specifically, those with dwarfism. The Spanish government gave the green light this Tuesday to an amendment to the regulations governing bullfighting events to eliminate the "legal loopholes" that some municipalities still "exploit" to hold public events featuring dwarf firefighters as bullfighters.
The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and Agenda 2030 promoted the amendment through a royal decree that aims to reinforce the ban established in 2023 through the General Law on Disability. Specifically, a fourth section is added to Article 90, which states: "In all cases, comic bullfighting spectacles shall respect human dignity, without infringing upon the rights of individuals or subjecting them to mockery or public denigration, in particular, social minorities, such as people with disabilities. The competent government authority may not mandate..."
Although the ban already existed, some shows of this type have been programmed sporadically. For example, in February 2025, a court in Málaga ruled in favor of the promoters of the Comic Bullfighting event, which the Andalusian Regional Government had denied authorization for two years earlier because people with dwarfism were participating. The court considered that there was no evidence that the show's purpose was mockery.
"Never again can we allow disability to become a cause for mockery to make money," the Minister of Social Rights, Pablo Bustinduy, stated at the press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting. The ministry also reminds the public that it offers a job reintegration program. Steps with dignity for people with disabilities who have been forced to work in these shows.
