The United States and Britain announce a

Mexican bullfighter Diego Silveti partakes in a bullfight in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)The European conquerors of Mesoamerican territories in the 16th century brought along

and cultural practices that are nowwith Indigenous customs.Researcher and bullfighting fan Antonio Rivera lives in

, a southeastern state where bullfights reflect ancient Mayan traditions.“In local celebrations, the roots of bullfighting are sacrificial rites,” Rivera said. “Ancient cultures believed the gods requested sacrifices and blood fertilizes the earth.”

Every year, the Yucatán peninsula celebrates about 2,000 events featuring bulls, he said.

In 2021, Yucatán’s Congress declared bullfighting part of its cultural heritage. It was a way to keep the ancestral memory alive, the official declaration said, and a way to honor its people’s identity.As for EU and U.S. sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Gerapetritis said they have been only partially successful because Moscow has

. The economic penalties have not become “a turning point for peace,” he said.Gerapetritis said his country supports a

, has discussed it andextensively with Israel and the Palestinians, and sees itself as an “honest broker.”