Case Explained: Rodeo Isn’t a Sport, It’s a Crime Under Chile’s Penal Code – Legal Perspective

By Andres Kogan Valderrama

HAVANA TIMES – In light of the recent visit by President Jose Antonio Kast and several ministers to the final of the 77th National Rodeo Championship in Rancagua, where this supposed “national tradition” was celebrated with speeches about Chilean identity and pride, I cannot fail to point out something so serious.

Many of us reject animal cruelty disguised as sport, and we do not accept that public authorities legitimize practices as abhorrent as rodeo, which constitute animal abuse and amount to acts of torture. In this activity, young bulls are dragged and injured solely to entertain the audience.

In fact, rodeo constitutes a crime under the Penal Code, regardless of the exception made for this practice, under Law 20.380 on Animal Protection. A higher-ranking, general law should prevail.

For this reason, it is not enough to make visible and denounce this violence against nonhuman animals, legitimized by the current government. It is necessary to move toward an explicit legal prohibition, with prison sentences, as has historically been done with other manifestations of cruelty.

Moreover, scientific evidence shows that animal abuse is a risk indicator for later violence against human beings. We should not continue to ignore this connection, which affects the lives of all kinds of beings and which we should not overlook simply to preserve supposed traditions.

This goes far beyond a matter of left or right. It is about empathy and recognizing that animals also feel and suffer. It is time to leave behind violent practices and move toward a society centered on care and respect for life in all its forms.

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