27.04.2026 13:40
At the San Marcos festival held in Spain, young bull breeder Santiago Barrero San Roman died after being attacked by a bull. This tragic event at the festival once again brought security gaps to the agenda.
The traditional San Marcos festival held in the Jaén region of Spain witnessed a tragedy that will not be forgotten this year. In the narrow street known locally as "Calle Palomares" (Hell Street) due to its adrenaline and danger, 30-year-old Santiago Barrero San Roman, one of Spain's youngest and most successful bull breeders, lost his life after being attacked by a bull.
According to chilling accounts from witnesses, the incident occurred during one of the most thrilling moments of the festival. San Roman, who raised bulls on his own farm and was an expert in the field, took shelter behind a barrier and a barrel by the roadside to protect himself from an enraged bull. However, the angry animal noticed where the young man was hiding and attacked with its horns.
In the horrifying footage captured on amateur cameras, the bull is seen throwing San Roman into the air with its horns, dragging him for meters, and pinning him against wooden fences. Although nearby participants tried to pull the animal away by tugging on ropes tied to its neck, the furious bull continued its attack. The severely injured young breeder lost his fight for life just an hour after being taken to the hospital.
The most heartbreaking part of the tragedy was San Roman's family life. It was learned that the young man, who inherited Spain's deep-rooted bull breeding legacy from his father and grandfather, was married and the father of two children. Moreover, the news that his wife is currently pregnant and expecting their third child has caused great sorrow in the Spanish press. San Roman was not only a breeder but also a beloved family man and an honest tradesman in the region.
Such festivals held annually in Spain are often criticized for their security shortcomings. "Hell Street" is considered the most dangerous course due to its narrowness and limited escape space. Experts note that even a professional breeder's inability to survive in this confined space once again highlights the inadequacy of the festival's safety procedures.
As Spain reels from this news of death, the recent severe injury of famous matador Morante de la Puebla from a bull's horn blow in the arena has reopened the debate on the dangers of bullfighting in the country. Despite the death, the festival committee did not cancel the event, merely observing a minute of silence in San Roman's memory.