Ecuador's efforts to ban bullfighting has some fans seeing red

Ecuador's populist president is facing a potential backlash with his May 7 referendum that would ban bullfighting.

The proposed law would make it illegal to kill animals for entertainment.

In February, a bullfight and cockfight in Quito called "Bulls and Cocks for Freedom" drew some 15,000 people.

President Rafael Correa has already tried to deflect public opinion over the issue by dropping cockfighting from the ban, arguing that the event does not necessarily imply that the birds should die, The Mimi Herald reports.

The Herald says, however, that the leftist president appears to be trying to bolster support with the lower classes, who are drawn to cockfighting, while targeting bullfighting,which is popular among the wealthy.

Ecuador's Union of Bullfighters says a ban would affect the livelihood of some 97,000 families connected with the industry.

The government has tried to counter the opposition by saying there would not ban on having bullfights if the animal is not killed.

But union president Milton Calahorrano, The Herald reporst, quickly dismisses that notion: "That's like a soccer match without any goals."

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