The devastated mother of a renowned Portuguese bullfighter who was killed by a 1,500lb beast has accused internet trolls of rejoicing over his death.
Manuel Maria Trindade, a 22-year-old ‘forcado’, died on Saturday, just 24 hours after a tense face off with an enraged bull in Lisbon’s Campo Pequeno.
Within seconds of the show beginning, the mighty animal hoisted Trindade up with its horns and rammed him against a wall, causing severe brain damage.
The incident has sparked a nationwide debate in Portugal, with animal rights activists calling for the ‘barbaric’ sport to be banned.
Others have made light of the young fighter’s death – posting online that he deserved his tragic fate as ‘karma’ for attempting to battle a bull.
In response, Alzira, Trindade’s mother, has written an open letter hitting back at those ‘applauding’ her son’s death.
The grieving woman revealed she was still waiting for the return of his body because he was an organ donor.
Addressing her message to Portugal’s environmentalist party People Animals Nature (PAN), Alzira wrote:
Trindade was a young but celebrated forcado – the name of a kind of Portuguese fighter who deliberately provokes a bull into charging
He was rushed to São José Hospital where he was put in an induced coma, but he died within 24 hours on August 23 after irreparable brain damage
Paramedics rushed to treat Trindade in the ring but the injuries to his head were severe
‘I want to thank you for all your applause, laughter, and rejoicing over my son’s death. Did you know him well enough to be happy about his death? Do you know if he liked animals?
‘Actually, YES! We’ve always had dogs and they’re part of our family. They slept with him, and when he came home, they laughed at him… animals know who the good people are!
‘My son belonged to a group of brothers who wear a jacket with honor and bravery. These groups never harmed a bull; they handled it skillfully.’
She went on to compare bullfighters to others who engage in dangerous sports – such as Formula one racers, boxers, skiers, and abseiling enthusiasts.
‘I had promised myself not to read your intelligent comments, but some were so “beautiful” that I couldn’t help myself and had to thank you for the support and affection show,’ she wrote in the letter, published in full in ODigital.
‘I’m here at home, waiting… waiting… for them to give me the body of my “Golden Boy”, yes, waiting! Because he was an organ donor,’ she added, noting that he had helped to save seven people.
Footage of the fatal brawl shows Trindade run towards the enormous bull to provoke it into charging.
The beast then ran at high speed towards him, and he attempted to grab onto its horns and gain control.
The incident has sparked a nationwide debate in Portugal, with animal rights activists calling for the ‘barbaric’ sport to be banned
The 1,500lb beast ran at high speed towards Trindade, who attempted to grab onto the animal’s horns and gain control
Trindade’s fellow forcados tried to stop the bull from charging towards the wooden wall
But in a matter of seconds Trindade was hoisted up into the air by the storming bull and thrown against the wall of the arena.
A 73-year-old spectator watching the horror unfold from the audience fell ill during the show and was transported to hospital where he died.
In reaction to the Alzira’s letter, the PAN party issued a statement strongly denying that its members expressed satisfaction following the fighter’s death.
‘PAN did not, nor would ever, rejoice in the death of a young person under any circumstances,’ the party said.
‘Episodes like this strengthen our belief that bullfighting should end. But we advocate for our convictions with humanity, respect, and responsibility.
‘We reaffirm our position with respect and empathy: Empathy for people, for families facing an irreparable loss. Empathy for animals that continue to suffer in bullfights.’
The party added that it calls for the abolition of bullfighting for ‘ethical reasons and out of respect for life and animal welfare’.
Inês Sousa Real, a spokesperson for the PAN party and a Member of the Assembly of the Republic took to X after the news of two fatalities following the fight.
‘In addition to this tragic incident, six bulls were also tortured. It’s high time to put an end to this barbarity!’ she wrote to her followers.
PAN has historically lobbied against bullfighting and has campaigned for a referendum on its abolishment.
She argued that anyone defending the ritual has an ‘outdated vision’.
‘[There is a] fundamentalism and insensitivity in believing that everything should remain the same, even in the face of animal suffering and the death of two people.
‘From the first instance, the PAN party already made it clear that we regret a tragedy of this nature. But what happened only reinforces our conviction that this violent activity should have been stopped long ago, both because of the suffering it causes to animals and to people.
‘Fun, “traditions” or “culture” cannot be above the value of human life or animal welfare. And this ethical and civilizational abnormality that bullfights are should have already ended in our country.’
The party submitted three open letters – to the Ministry of Labour, the owners of the Campo Pequeno vernue, and bullfight promoters Plateia Colossal – calling for bullfighting events to be suspended this season in Lisbon, according to the Observador.
It also submitted a proposal to the National Assembly on Tuesday to ‘suspend bullfights in Campo Pequeno and promote the reconversion of the square, and another to prohibit minors under 18 from attending and participating in these events’.
On Friday, spectators in the 6,848-seat ring shouted in horror as Trindade was left sprawled on the ground.
The raging bull was finally subdued by a fighter pulling its tail and others holding up bright capes in its eyeline. Paramedics rushed to treat Trindade in the ring but the injuries to his head were severe.
Trindade was continuing a family tradition by pursuing bullfighting and followed in his father’s footsteps who was also a forcado with the São Manços group
A video from the fight shows the victim run towards the enormous bull to provoke the animal into charging
But in a matter of seconds Trindade was hoisted up into the air by the storming bull and thrown against the wall of the arena
The animal was finally subdued by a bullfighter pulling its tail and others holding up bright capes in its eyeline
He was rushed to São José Hospital where he was put in an induced coma, but he died within 24 hours on August 23 after going into cardiorespiratory arrest.
The spectator who died was Vasco Morais Batista, an elderly orthopedic surgeon from the Aveiro region who was watching the horrific fight from a box.
He was treated by Red Cross paramedics before being rushed to the Santa Maria Hospital where a fatal aortic aneurysm was detected.
Trindade was a young but celebrated forcado – the name of a kind of Portuguese fighter who deliberately provokes a bull into charging.
Once the animal is enraged, the team of eight forcados are supposed to form a single-file line and one-by-one attempt to jump on the bolting beast and wrestle it to a standstill.
Unlike in Spanish bullfighting, where the animal is killed by the matador at the end of the performance, bulls are not killed in the ring in the Portuguese tradition due to a royal law banning the ritual in 1836.
Instead, they are taken away later for professional slaughter – though occasionally beasts considered to have been particularly brave are ‘pardoned’ and retired to stud.
It is not clear what happened to the animal in Trindade’s case.
Once the bull is charging, eight forcados are supposed to one-by-one form a single-file line and attempt to wrestle the animal to a standstill
A spokesperson from the venue told the Daily Mail: ‘The ranch’s staff evaluates the animal’s bravery based on its response during a bullfight, as well as its overall appearance and behavior.
‘An animal with bravery, feistiness, and presentation can become a stallion for a ranch, if its owners so desire, and can be returned to the field after a bullfight.
‘If this is not the case, it can be sent to the slaughterhouse, where it will undergo the same procedures as other cattle.’
Forcados are unique to the Portuguese style of bullfighting and act on foot, without any protection or weapons.
Before he was completely dominated by the animal, Trindade was attempting a pega de cara (face catch), by grabbing the bull’s horns. If the stunt had been successful, Trindade’s fellow forcados would have joined him by clambering onto the animal and wrestling it to the ground to the point of submission.
The promising 22-year-old fought for the São Manços amateur bullfighting troupe, which was celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
He was from Nossa Senhora de Machede, in the municipality of Évora.
Trindade was continuing a family tradition by pursuing bullfighting and followed in his father’s footsteps who was also a forcado with the São Manços group.
The company responsible for organising Friday’s bullfight sent its ‘deepest condolences to the family, to the Grupo de Forcados Amadores de S. Manços and to all of the young man’s friends’.
Lisbon’s Campo Pequeno was built in the 1890s and is the home of Portugese bullfighting in the summer season.
The arena has capacity for 10,000 spectators.
Bullfighting has a rich history in Portugal and dates back to the late 16th century with the erection of the first-known ring in Lisbon.
Over the years, a number of fighters and misguided revellers have met a bloody end after clashing with the great beasts – gory scenes collected in the video above.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .