Dwarf bullfighters are putting on shows around South America

Many people consider bullfighting to be a form of severe animal cruelty, though it is considered a sport in some European, North American, and South American countries. Many people also feel that mocking little people for their size is inhumane. Marrying the two ideas results in the ultimate political correctness nightmare, but that’s what is going on in some countries.

According to Huffington Post, a group of dwarfs and clowns has been performing in Colombia recently, putting on shows at fairs, festivals, and nightclubs. They say actors Franklin Marcano and Gustavo Murillo performed at La Macarena bullring in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, last weekend.

The dwarf bullfighters were the subject of a 2007 USA Today profile. The bullfighters acknowledge they are partly mocked for their size but also respected for their skill.

“When we run around, our movements are just naturally humorous,” said Gustavo Vázquez, the manager of a troupe known as the Giants of the Bullring. “But we also put on a quality variety show, and the bullfighting is real. The goal is for the audience to see past the fact that we’re little people.”

Though they are derided, the bullfighting provides the dwarfs a living and source of income in impoverished countries. Because of their size, they fight calves rather than full-grown bulls (and hopefully avoid gruesome injuries like this and this). The tradition reportedly first began in the 1970s when a Spanish promoter was touring Mexico with a troupe of dwarf bullfighters.

Here are videos of troupes performing in Mexico:

Chest bump Off the Bench