Kate del Castillo Urges Mayor Mancera to Sign Circus Ban into Law

Telenovela Superstar Joins PETA Latino in Supporting Mexico City’s Efforts to Protect Animals and the Public

For Immediate Release:
June 25, 2014

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Mexico City is poised to ban the use of animals in circuses, with the recently passed bill just awaiting Mayor Miguel Ángel Mancera’s signature—and in a letter sent to the mayor this morning on PETA Latino’s behalf, La Reina del Sur star Kate del Castillo encourages him to sign the bill into law immediately.

“As a performer who will always consider Mexico City home, I was proud to learn that city council members voted unanimously to ban the use of animals in circuses,” writes del Castillo, who cites circuses’ abuse of elephants, tigers, and other animals, as well as the danger frustrated, abused animals pose to the public as reasons for the mayor to “do the right thing and sign this bill into law.”

For more information, please visit PETALatino.com.

Kate del Castillo’s letter to Mayor Mancera follows.

June 24, 2014

The Honorable Miguel Ángel Mancera
Mayor of Mexico City

Dear Mayor Mancera:

As a performer who will always consider Mexico City home, I was proud to learn that city council members voted unanimously to ban the use of animals in circuses. I’m writing to urge you to protect animals and the public by signing this bill into law.

Undercover footage of Ringling Bros. circus, which was just in Mexico City, reveals that elephants are beaten in order to force them to perform painful tricks. Circuses based in Mexico are no better to animals, and 96 animals have been confiscated by the Mexican government in the past year. Last year, the government seized a lion who was malnourished and severely underweight from the national Daniel Atayde Circus and found three other instances of abuse of a boa, a tiger, and a spider monkey during the inspection. The government has inspected 68 circuses in Mexico. In 38 of them, it found animals with skin infections or serious injuries, spider monkeys who lacked teeth, and other problems.

Elephants who weigh many tons and other wild animals also pose a serious danger to humans. One person died and 11 others were injured after an elephant escaped in Tulancingo. Recently, three elephants rampaged at another circus and damaged vehicles in a parking lot before they were captured 45 minutes later. Fortunately, no children were injured, but they easily could have been.

Please do the right thing and sign this bill into law. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Kate del Castillo