Protest against ban on “vaquejada” arrives at Brazil's capital
A protest against the ban on vaquejada was staged today (Oct. 25) at the Ministries Esplanade, and gathered vaqueiros [cowboys] and businessmen from various states.
A protest against the ban on vaquejada was staged today (Oct. 25) at the Ministries Esplanade, and gathered vaqueiros [cowboys] and businessmen from various states. They deny that the practice abuses animals and declare that in addition to the cultural element, the activity is a source of employment and income.
The event's organizers said about 700 animal transport trucks and 6,000 people came to Brasília for the protest. There are 2,000 animals, mostly horses.
Very common in the Northeast region of Brazil, the vaquejada is a competitive practice in which the cowboy aims to knock over the bull by pulling the animal by the tail.
On October 6, the Supreme Court (STF) ruled that the vaquejada is against the constitution. The subject came into matter when the government of the state of Ceará approved a state law regulating the practice. After the decision taken by Supreme Court justices, the practice became illegal for being related to cruelty to animals.
Cowboy Clayton Araújo, 35, lives in Paratinga, in Bahia state. He says the practice is part of his family's history and of the culture of many people from the Northeast region. According to Araújo, the vaquejada changed over the past few years and they are taking special care to avoid cruelty to animals.
"We had been cruel to animals; when I began running, we had a hard field that was cruel to the bull, today we have a sandy track. The bull used to be knocked over and dragged, and now it does not happen anymore. And there was also the calf roping, and currently at regularized vaquejada, it is prohibited. Now we use the tail guard," he said
According to him, vaquejada is a source of a livelihood for many people, and when this practice is ban, it creates an impact on workers, like animal handlers, cowboys, and drivers.
The associations report that, in the last 10 years, the activity was regulated to ensure the safety of competitors and animals.
Productive chain
According to the Brazilian Quarter Horse Breeders Association (ABQM) and the Brazilian Association of Vaquejadas (ABAQ), about 4,000 vaquejadas are annually organized throughout the country, mostly in the Northeast region, which creates 700,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The associations report that, in the last 10 years, the activity was regulated to ensure the safety of competitors and animals. They argue that, rather than banning the regulation of the practice, the best way is to adopt measures to ensure the continuity of vaquejada.
The owner of the Parque Leão de Vaquejada in Brasília, Raul Leão, says the economic impact created by the end of the activity affects a whole productive chain like the production of saddles, animal feed, and medicines.
"This trial without a public hearing to discuss what vaquejada is for the country was a regrettable error," said Raul Leão.
Translated by Amarílis Anchieta
Fonte: Protest against ban on “vaquejada” arrives at Brazil's capital
