Summary
In 2018, a ban on cockfighting as part of the Animal Protection Bill of Veracruz State was challenged by the local cockfighting industry, claiming the ban violates the right to culture and property, among other human rights. A ruling by the Supreme Court stated that “no practice that involves the mistreatment and unnecessary suffering of animals can be considered a cultural expression protected by the [federal] constitution.” This rule established a precedent for the recognition of the rights of non-human animals.