They call it the "Festival del Toro Guapo" (the Handsome Bull Festival). It is celebrated the 15th October of each year in Anton, Panama.
In the past, a cow or a bull was brought in to suffer all kinds of abuse and violations and this was watched by many people that used to gather around the animal´s hell.
In the past, a cow or a bull was brought in to suffer all kinds of abuse and violations and this was watched by many people that used to gather around the animal´s hell.
From the Animal Rights point of view, this town festival as performed before was simply an excuse to torture, abuse and violate a cow or bull by a bunch of men who were usually high in alcohol, marihuana or cocaine (Video 1). We have to keep in mind that there was and still is drug trafficking going on in Panama.
Video 1. Cow violated by narcos, drunkards and wackos in Anton (Panama) in 2008.
In other words and put quite bluntly, up till recently poor animals were abused or violated by narcos, drunkards or wackos during festivals in Panama.
Applying a bird´s-eye historical view, the festival used to be basically a "cheap imitation", as expressed once by a Spaniard visiting the town of Anton, of another hell in Spain: Bullfights, "corridas" or "vaquillas".
But things have changed a bit in Panama now.
Panama is progressing at snail´s pace not only regarding the building of infrastructures (e.g., metro) or widening the Canal but also along the line of Animal Rights.
The latter is indeed good news.
According to the Panamanian Law 70, Articles 1 and 2, of the Protection of Domestic Animals of 2012, his kind of cruel treatment on domestic animals in spectacles is now history. It is prohibited.
So, what do Anton´s people use instead of the live animal now?
They have substituted the live animal for a colourful bovine-looking artifact that is worn over a person´s back and swung around chasing people to make them laugh (Video 2).
Video 2. The Toro Guapo Festival in Anton (Panama) in 2013.
An excellent idea and what better way to show the world there are many Panamanians who do indeed care about animals and love Nature.
Congratulations for that!
And congratulations to all Animal Rights advocates that have fought for this moment to happen in Panama.
It is a big step.
Furthermore, it is admirable to see young nations such as Panama to move in the right direction. Bravo!
However,
there are still some exceptions to the Animal Rights Law 70 in Panama.
So there is still a lot of work to do.
And we are not talking about the common incidents of bestiality and zoophilia in Panama. Such acts are severely punished in this nation now.
We are referring to something else.
And we are not talking about the common incidents of bestiality and zoophilia in Panama. Such acts are severely punished in this nation now.
We are referring to something else.
First, there are the famous cockfights, another relic from the Spanish Conquest in the Isthmus. They are
still allowed all over Panama.
Cockfights move a lot of money in bets (Video 3). Bets ("desafío bolsa") can go from US$100 to US$50.000 or more in Panama.
Cockfights move a lot of money in bets (Video 3). Bets ("desafío bolsa") can go from US$100 to US$50.000 or more in Panama.
Video 3. An expensive cockfight: US$30.000 in the bag.
Colombians, Puerto Ricans, Peruvians, Dominicans, Cubans, Venezuelans, Americans (Miami), Spanish, Brazilians and other people of different nationalities get together for cockfighting events in Panama.
Some national and international experts on organised crime indicate that cockfights are a perfect vehicle for criminal syndicates to launder drug money in Panama.
Gold, expensive jewelry, rough diamonds (smuggled from Africa), packs of pirated CDs, drugs, weapons, coltán (from Venezuela), bales of smuggled snuff and other stuff instead of money may be secretely used as cockfight bets by some people, mainly in Chiriqui, Colon, Darien and Cocle.
Amongst Panama´s provinces, Cocle is steeped in secrets that are no true secrets because even vendors selling ice cream on the streets can tell you what they call the "El Camino de la Montaña" (the Mountain Trail), meaning the Penonome+Chorrerita and/or Aguas Blancas+La Colorada (de Juan Diaz)+Valle de Anton+Cocle del Norte+Colon Axis, a notorious and old route used by the hush-hush local mafia for all sorts of trafficking and contraband since colonial times.
National and international authorities (DIJ, DEA, CIA, Interpol, etc.) should look into this obscure world going on in the cockfighting world and other underground worlds in Panama and explore deeply its roots and interconnections including bullfights beyond its beach.
Honest people in Panama would be quite happy to see all of the crooks that strut their stuff as untouchable cocks on the streets in the hinterland cities in Panama.
But this is stuff for the police where there should be police when the police sometimes does not want to police what they should police.
Some national and international experts on organised crime indicate that cockfights are a perfect vehicle for criminal syndicates to launder drug money in Panama.
Gold, expensive jewelry, rough diamonds (smuggled from Africa), packs of pirated CDs, drugs, weapons, coltán (from Venezuela), bales of smuggled snuff and other stuff instead of money may be secretely used as cockfight bets by some people, mainly in Chiriqui, Colon, Darien and Cocle.
Amongst Panama´s provinces, Cocle is steeped in secrets that are no true secrets because even vendors selling ice cream on the streets can tell you what they call the "El Camino de la Montaña" (the Mountain Trail), meaning the Penonome+Chorrerita and/or Aguas Blancas+La Colorada (de Juan Diaz)+Valle de Anton+Cocle del Norte+Colon Axis, a notorious and old route used by the hush-hush local mafia for all sorts of trafficking and contraband since colonial times.
National and international authorities (DIJ, DEA, CIA, Interpol, etc.) should look into this obscure world going on in the cockfighting world and other underground worlds in Panama and explore deeply its roots and interconnections including bullfights beyond its beach.
Honest people in Panama would be quite happy to see all of the crooks that strut their stuff as untouchable cocks on the streets in the hinterland cities in Panama.
But this is stuff for the police where there should be police when the police sometimes does not want to police what they should police.
All in all, there are many social and ethical reasons to abolish cockfights.
The "cultural" excuse so often mentioned and upheld by lovers of cock blood is bullshit.
According to experts on human behaviour and psychology, only psychologically disturbed, psychotic or sexually abused people or some incipient or hidden homosexuals enjoy blood "sports", especially the ones where daggers and swords are plunged into the body of a victim (animal).
Let us hope cockfights in Panama will be soon history too.
The "cultural" excuse so often mentioned and upheld by lovers of cock blood is bullshit.
According to experts on human behaviour and psychology, only psychologically disturbed, psychotic or sexually abused people or some incipient or hidden homosexuals enjoy blood "sports", especially the ones where daggers and swords are plunged into the body of a victim (animal).
Let us hope cockfights in Panama will be soon history too.
The second is the tough one. The toughest. Not just for Panama but also for every nation on Earth.
As things stand now, the next step will not be decided by any humans on their own. Someone else will do it for them in the near future whether they like it or not.
It will be imposed upon humans by Mother Nature alone, for Homo "sapiens" like any other species lives in a world of finite resources.
It has to do with the matter of raising animals whether in factory farms (e.g., chickens) (Video 4) or CAFOs (cattle) causing deterioration to the environment (e.g., soil, water and air pollution) or open range (e.g., cattle) which if done in the Tropics or anywhere involves cutting down the forests to expand the business, feeding them food crops (which should go to people) to fatten them up and killing them (Video 5) to eat them.
Video 4. Say NO to battery farming!
Video 5. inside a sausage supplier to Mississippi schools.
What this means is that meat eating at the present or higher scale is and will be not only ecological expensive but also anti-biospherical or anti-nature.
Thus, as a result and also as the human population grows, which means more and more great demands on Earth´s ecosystems, more and more people will have no other choice but to become vegetarian or vegan.
If humans want ot survive as a species they will have to change their consumption habits drastically. It is not only a matter of technology to solve the problems we have carved on our own. It is required more than that.
If people do not, they will be made to change their consumption habits by the Mother of all mothers: Mother Nature.
On these matters, despite of having other problems such as water crisis, a large population, for instance, India is way ahead of everyone in the world in other apects.
If people do not, they will be made to change their consumption habits by the Mother of all mothers: Mother Nature.
On these matters, despite of having other problems such as water crisis, a large population, for instance, India is way ahead of everyone in the world in other apects.
There are already millions of people whose diet is strictly plant based. Which is a good thing.
And not for being vegans and vegetarian Indians are not unhealthy. On the contrary, they sicken if they switch (transition nutrition) to a Western diet rich in meat and dairy products, i.e., over-meaty and over-greasy and unhealthy, and great amounts of processed or refined foods, consumed with every meal or all the time.
This is a pending task for the vast majority of humans.
As for ourselves, in case you are wondering, we have already become vegetarians. We did it a long time ago. Not for health reasons but because of a deeply ethical and empathic vision.
Where are you on this matter?
Are you still a prisoner of old programmes learned during childhood and ingrained in your brains so that you end up acting like a biological robot?
References
Colson R. (Ed.) (2009). Panama: Politics and Economics. Politics and Economics of Latin America Series. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., New York, NY, USA. 213 p.
Deshpande S. (2003). Contemporary India: A Sociological View. Viking, Penguin Books India, New Delhi, India. 213 p.
Dundes A. (Ed.) (1994). The Cockfight: A Casebook. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, WI, USA. 302 p.
Are you still a prisoner of old programmes learned during childhood and ingrained in your brains so that you end up acting like a biological robot?
References
Colson R. (Ed.) (2009). Panama: Politics and Economics. Politics and Economics of Latin America Series. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., New York, NY, USA. 213 p.
Deshpande S. (2003). Contemporary India: A Sociological View. Viking, Penguin Books India, New Delhi, India. 213 p.
Dundes A. (Ed.) (1994). The Cockfight: A Casebook. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, WI, USA. 302 p.
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