Spain’s Animal-Rights Party Wins Record Amount of Votes

Spain’s major animal-rights political party received a record amount of votes in the country’s general election last week, garnering 285,000 votes. Partido Animalista Contra el Maltrato Animal (PACMA, which translates to “Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals”), has long advocated bringing an end to bullfighting, a position that has helped it gain widespread support from a public that is increasingly turning away from the barbaric sport. Due to Spain’s Electoral Law, however, the record netting of votes was not enough to allow the party into parliament, according to Expatica. “This support proves again the unstoppable growth of the single party that bears the flag of defending animals,” PACMA said. “Never has a party with so many votes been out of the chambers of representation … these votes are going to serve to put pressure on the rest of the politicians and to have more of a presence in the media to give a voice to the voiceless.”