MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan President backtracks on horsetaming restrictions

The measures had been implemented last month during the last days of Luis Lacalle Pou's government

Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi suspended for 180 days a regulation passed last month by the previous administration of Luis Lacalle Pou concerning the National Institute of Animal Welfare (INBA) to prioritize animal welfare in horsetaming (jineteadas). The newly-inaugurated head of State said the measure approved last Feb. 10 was too strict to rural sectors, forcing them to cancel several traditional events.

Orsi’s initiative seeks to balance animal welfare with cultural traditions, prompting the formation of a working group involving INBA, social, and business stakeholders to revise the rules.

The president's decision was welcome across Uruguay's political spectrum, including Senators Sebastián Sabini (of Orsi's Broad Front) and Sebastián Da Silva (of Lacallle's National Party), who argued the regulation was impractical and threatened gaucho traditions.

The suspension has allowed rural festivals, such as the San Pedro Festival in Durazno, to resume, benefiting local economies reliant on tourism.

However, animal protection groups, like Animal Libre, caution against normalizing cruel practices, while the INBA and the Rural Society advocate for a balanced approach, with potential adjustments to rules on spurs and riding times under debate.

Orsi instructed Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries Minister Luis Fratti to suspend for 180 days the INBA measure in a move to “deepen the exchange of different perspectives.” The questioned measure established guidelines for the treatment of animals during jineteadas, but its application was deemed too “rigid” by rural sectors and festival organizers.

Sabini found it “extremely strict” and said the Executive would summon the INBA, social and business actors for a working table to evaluate adjustments. “Animal welfare is central, but it must be applied within a realistic framework,” he stressed.

Da Silva praised Orsi's decision, saying it was “reassuring” to sectors linked to gaucho activities. The 180-day hiatus will allow “to make the jineteadas viable without abuses,” he also mentioned after a verbal dispute with Presidential Secretary Alejandro Sánchez, who recalled that such a regulation had been approved under Lacalle Pou's rule.

Meanwhile, the INBA reiterated its commitment to ethical standards but admitted the need to “agree on deadlines and methodologies,” and the Rural Society issued a statement celebrating the head of State's decision. On the other hand, the NGO Animal Libre warned that any relaxation should not normalize practices considered cruel.