Spectators at a bullfight in Cartagena, Colombia

Hundreds of spectators fill the seats at a bullfight. The stands are topped with a stylized series of arches with flags.

Bullfighting was brought to the New World from Spain during the colonial period. It is a highly-ritualized sport that still retains its popularity in Colombia. While increasingly termed a bloodsport and criticized by animal-rights activists, practitioners argue the sport is an important cultural institution.