These are the aids that bullfighting industry requests from the Minister of Culture for the COVID-19

In the middle of the coronavirus crisis, on a day in which Spain adds 514 deaths with coronavirus and is close to 40,000 cases, bullfighters only think of asking for indeminzaciones and help of the most varied and scandalous. In an exercise of honesty, or rather of tremendousness, the bullfighting sector makes it clear that they assume that there will be a foreseeable reduction in celebrations or even the complete absence of them throughout 2020.

These are the specific requests that the different bullfighting entities have claimed from the Minister of Culture, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, according to what El Mundo published today after accessing the letter sent to the minister on March 23, and which is signed by the employers' association of Entrepreneurs National Association of Organizers of Bullfighting Shows (Anoet), the Union of Bullfighters (UT), the National Union of Picador Banderilleros of Spain (UNPBE), the Union of Bull Breeders of Lidia (UCTL) and the Toro de Lidia Foundation (FTL).

Bulfighting bailout

1. Reduction of cultural VAT from 10% to 4%.
2. To urge the administrations that own publicly owned bullrings , granted under Law 9/2017, of November 8, on Public Sector Contracts, to restore the economic balance of the contracts in force in all its main aspects: canon, number and type of obligatory shows, price of the localities and derived obligations such as financing of bullfighting schools, works and reforms in each bullring, cultural events, exemption from administrative fees, etc; as well as flexibility in the pending concessions in 2020, either by extending the previous awardees or by facilitating quick and non-speculative contracting procedures.
3. Revisions in the criteria for the bullfighting professionals' contribution , according to article 33.5 of Royal Decree 2064/1995, where the determination of the contribution base corresponding to each company is established, since in no case will the number of celebrations be carried out necessary to reach the minimum contribution base necessary so that the amount pending by the company is not regularized.
4. Promote specific ICO financing lines to guarantee the liquidity of cultural companies, especially for those affected by the suspension of already announced shows whose initial investment for their organization has been altered due to the absolute lack of income, as well as approve compensation for canceled shows given that the cancellation insurance contracted does not cover this exceptional type of cancellation of the show.
5. Exemption from specific tax charges for the exploitation of the bullrings, both for bullfighting shows and for all kinds of cultural and artistic shows: Real Estate Taxes, Tax on Economic Activities, etc.
6. Restructuring of administrative and production expenses of bullfights celebrated as mass cultural spectacles, with the Public Administration assuming health and veterinary coverage in bullfights.
7. Expansion of the measures approved by RD Law 8/2020 of March 17 for bullfighting companies and the self-employed (businessmen, bullfighters' attorneys and other professionals) beyond the application of the state of alarm if it is prolonged once deactivated, either at the state and / or regional level, measures to ban the concentration of people that make it impossible to hold bullfights.
8. In response to the news published in El País on March 20, "European culture requests state aid to overcome the pandemic", in the case of Italy, the Executive will be responsible for the reimbursement, through vouchers, of the tickets already acquired for shows , cinemas, theaters or museums. We understand that it should be considered for Spain.
9. Approval of specific benefits for bullfighting professionals (bullfighters, banderilleros, picadores and mozos de espadas) registered with the Ministry of Culture and whose employment relationship is of a special nature and integrated into the general social security regime by RD 2621/1986, given that, despite the fact that their professional activity is suspended while bullfighting shows are not authorized, they cannot qualify for any type of cessation of activity or unemployment benefit approved to date on the occasion of COVID-19.
10. Approval of specific compensation for those bullfighting professionals whose performance contracts could not be carried out when the celebrations already announced and previously authorized by the public administration were suspended (in the case of contracts for the Fallas, Castellón or Seville Fairs), failing to receive the fees and / or salaries agreed between the party or regulated by agreement.
11. Suspension of the obligations to pay Social Security in charge of the workers resulting from the adjustments of the 2019 financial year, as well as suspension of the obligation to contribute by the bullfighting professional during the situation of sick leave due to professional accident or common illness.
12. Considering the foreseeable reduction or absence of celebrations in 2020, temporarily abolish the requirement of 8 celebrations to remain registered in the General Regime.
13. Establishment of a specific regime of salary guarantee for the group of bullfighting artists and professionals, for when the activity resumes, so that the current deficiencies of the general coverage regime by FOGASA are overcome, which causes the volume of contributions , for this concept, they do not really impact on minimally guaranteeing the wages of the sector (due to the limitation of the amount guaranteed to the triple of the SMI in daily computation).
14. Endowment of state funds to favor the organization of promotional bullfights, activity of public bullfighting schools and bullfighting contests.
15. Enable financing to local administrations and, where appropriate, autonomous bullfighting owners, for the contribution of a subsidy to the winning bullfighting companies, so that they can compensate for the losses due to the relocation of festivals and less public assistance.

We will not allow it

More than 12,000 people have already written to the Minister of Culture to demand that not one euro of public money be allocated to the rescue of the bullfighting sector. As of today (March 25, 2020) there are already more than 200 bullfights affected. In the case of running of the bulls and popular festivals, the number of cancellations rises to 1,684. 

From AnimaNaturalis we are doing everything possible so that the Minister of Culture does not allocate a single euro from the public coffers to financially help the bullfighting sector. And you? And have you signed? 

Sign now: No to aid for the cancellation of the bullfighting season!