Spanish Blood Fiestas Revolve Around
The Torture and Death of Animals
Since the death of Franco in 1975 there have been many changes and developments in Spain. This once seemingly isolated country, the last bastion of Europe against the massive and turbulent continent of Africa, has hurtled into the European mainstream.
Spaniards are in the forefront of European development in the sciences and arts, and Spanish cities are showcases of some of Europe's most progressive architecture. In short, Spain has arrived.
There is however a strange and frightening dichotomy. In the midst of the 'Brave New World' there is a continuance, a regression and an expansion of a culture of cruelty to animals that is barbarous and medieval. FAACE has worked, since 1987, to study and expose the Blood Fiestas and bullfighting in Spain.
Many thousands of these horrific Blood Fiestas take place in villages throughout Spain each year.
The vast majority of Blood Fiestas use cattle as their victims. Bulls, cows and calves from the bullfighting herds are tortured and killed.
Blood Fiestas with cattle are classified as bullfighting.
Bullfighting and Blood Fiestas are promoted and regulated under the Spanish National Bullfighting Law.
After cattle, chickens were the next most used creatures in Blood Fiestas, but since 2003 this has changed as all chicken fiestas have now ceased.
Some of the now notorious Spanish fiestas, involving animal cruelty first exposed and brought to prominence by FAACE, are:
The crushed donkeys of the Pero Palo fiestas, Villanueva de la Vera. Still continues, but is under constant observation
Goat paraded in streets, before being thrown from the church tower in Manganeses de la Polvorosa. BANNED in 2000.
The chickens hung from a line and hand decapitated by horsemen in Nalda. BANNED
The pigeons and squirrels in clay pots stoned in Robledo de Chavela. BANNED
The live chickens hung from a line hacked to pieces by blindfolded young girls with blunted swords in Tordesillas. BANNED
The chickens buried to their necks and decapitated by blindfolded villagers in Aduna. BANNED
The speared bulls, the fire bulls.
The drowned bulls, the bulls castrated alive for fun, and the darted bulls of Coria.