Senate approves amendment to guarantee the holding of rodeos.
The text was approved in two rounds of voting, this Tuesday (14), by a large majority of senators. The text stipulates that sporting practices that use animals will not be considered cruel, provided they are cultural manifestations foreseen in the Constitution and registered as part of the Brazilian cultural heritage. Now, the PEC goes to the Chamber of Deputies.
Senate Agency - The Senate approved on Tuesday (14) a Proposed Amendment to the Constitution that seeks to allow the holding of vaquejadas, after a decision by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) against the practice. The text was approved in two rounds of voting by a large majority of senators, who took turns in plenary to defend the sport. Now, the PEC goes to the Chamber of Deputies.
PEC 50/2016 amends Article 225 of the Constitution, which deals with the environment, to remove the characterization of cruelty associated with the sport. The text was presented in October 2016, shortly after the Supreme Court's decision. In the judgment of a lawsuit filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office against the law regulating rodeos in Ceará, the rapporteur, Minister Marco Aurélio, considered there to be "intrinsic cruelty" against the animals.
The text stipulates that sporting practices involving animals will not be considered cruel, provided they are cultural manifestations foreseen in the Constitution and registered as part of Brazil's cultural heritage. The condition for this is that they are regulated by specific legislation guaranteeing the well-being of the animals.