Spanish Bullfighter Ricardo Ortiz Is Killed By A Bull In Malaga

Ricardo Ortiz, 51, was unloading bulls at the La Malagueta bullring on Friday night when “one of the bulls violently gored him, causing his death,” the event’s organizer, Lances de Futuro, said in a statement, expressing its “deep sadness.” 

Coming from a family closely connected to the bullfighting world, Ortiz had retired more than 20 years ago but remained busy managing the bulls at Malaga’s main bullring, which can hold up to 9,000 spectators. The accident happened while he was helping to prepare for a Pablo Picasso-themed bullfight, known as the “Corrida Picassiana,” scheduled for Saturday night.

The arena, decorations and bullfighters’ costumes for the event are inspired by the works of Picasso, who was born in Malaga and was a great fan of bullfighting and bulls, a recurring theme in his work. This bullfight is traditionally held on Holy Saturday, during the Easter period.

Spain hosts around 1,500 bullfights each year, often coinciding with religious holidays, although the number is declining, according to figures. Bullfighting opponents consider the events barbaric, while its defenders see them as an ancestral art form deeply rooted in the nation’s history.

The last professional bullfighter to be killed in a bullfight in Spain was Victor Barrio, in 2016 in Teruel, in the east of the country.

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