These days the controversial corralejas are taking place in Ayapel, a municipality located in the eastern end of the department of Córdoba. This event, so far, has left negative balances and almost cost the life of a man, who is struggling to survive in a hospital.
The tragic event occurred last Friday afternoon, when in the middle of the corraleja the bull, which was being mistreated, attacked six people; of these, one was seriously injured, while the rest suffered minor injuries.
The man, according to the account of an assistant, suffered very serious facial injuries and even ended up blind, because the animal gouged out his eyes with its horns. The brutal attack was witnessed by minors and applauded by some of those present, who were also drinking liquor.
“For my children to live the experience of going to a corraleja, I decided to attend yesterday, I had not been there for more than 15 years. I had to see how a bull took out both eyes of a man, detached his jaw and the man was still conscious; he was blind and unable to speak, his tongue and palate hung dripping with blood. All this while thousands of people applauded and drank excitedly,” said the woman.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, some people continued to ask for the corraleja to continue. Through social networks, the photograph of the injured man, who has not been identified, was disseminated; In the atrocious image the man can be seen with his empty eye sockets, his face shattered and his left arm fractured.
“It became clear to me that I will not return to that type of scenario, I prefer to celebrate for life, for the family, for Christmas. This is a tradition that comes from Europe, where they put those below to be devoured by bulls and lions for the enjoyment of those above, should not be replicated and less accepted by the leaders”added the woman.
The injured were helped and removed from the place by Civil Defense personnel, and then they were transferred to the local hospital. However, the man who was most affected He had to be referred to a higher level hospital in Montería, where he is under a reserved prognosis.
After this situation, the assistant made a call to the mayor of Ayapel so that “instead of corralejas, there is a week of culture, dance, sports, free concerts and activities that attract tourism, that activate the economy. Where children and young people are inspired to imitate artists, musicians and athletes and do not enjoy the blood of others ”, she concluded.
Municipality that replaced the corralejas with books
Just 45 minutes from Barranquilla, in the eastern part of the Atlántico department, lies the municipality of Santo Tomás, where its 30,000 inhabitants decided to dispense with the corralejas and on this occasion the leading role is headed by the book fair and the Sunflower Route.
“We congratulate the Mayor’s Office for betting on this cultural offer that replaces Corralejas, promoting a stage for literature and the arts with an offer of national stature, as is the Santo Tomás Book Fair. All roads lead to the offer of activities that this municipality offers for locals and visitors,” said the departmental president, Elsa Noguera.
The municipality pays tribute to Tomasino writers and artists, especially the writer Julián Acosta, who has stood out for his work and his career as a cultural manager.