Man injured during the “Baxal Toro” festivity in Tizimín, Yucatan, dies at hospital

The man died yesterday at the San Carlos de Tizimín hospital, due to the complications caused by the injury.

Baxal-Toro or Baxal-Wakax

The Baxal-Toro is a very old bullfighting event in the patron saint festivities of the Yucatan Peninsula, with notable popular roots in which the entire community can participate.

With the same purposes of the popular running of the bulls throughout the bullfighting world, in which the bulls run through the streets, in the baxal-toro, the animals are held inside the ring, where one or more of them are released at the same time during the event, of the zebu type, half-caste or heifers, in which community members run in front of the bull or outwit the rush, with the purpose of demonstrating courage and skills.

The original meaning in the Mayan language of the word “Baxal” corresponds to play, mock, contend, or compete, it is a popular celebration that is carried out for fun and entertainment purposes.

Although many activists and animal-protecting groups are against these practices calling them barbaric.

MÉRIDA, Yucatán, (January 3, 2022).- Reyes Melchor “N”, 46 years old, died at the San Carlos de Tizimín hospital, due to the complications caused by the goring he received on Friday afternoon at the traditional “Baxal Toro”.

On Sunday, January 2nd, he was buried in the midst of the pain of his relatives, who are now desperate to be able to gather around 25 thousand pesos to pay for the burial and the grave in which the remains of Reyes Melchor were deposited.

Due to the fact that the cause of death was certified as a heart attack, the ministerial authorities did not intervene and the family was able to wake him on Saturday in his home on Calle 47 and 33 of the Felipe Carrillo Puerto neighborhood, in Tizimin; from where the funeral procession left this morning in the direction of the cemetery.

His brother Roger and his son José Francisco regretted this event in which no one is to blame, because Reyes Melchor always liked to participate in this event every year, but they consider that they should receive more and better support from the authorities in charge of the organization of the “Baxal Toro”.

They indicated that the deceased was the one who helped his mother with money for food because although he was an alcoholic, he always worked to earn his livelihood.

TYT Newsroom