A tense and troubling scene unfolded this Sunday in Villavieja de Lozoya, a Madrid town known for a long-running bullfighting tradition that has drawn scrutiny over the involvement of younger participants. In the streets, a confrontation between locals, a bull handling team, and bystanders became the focal point of a live news report. The incident involved attempts by children to escape from the oxen as the procession moved through town, underscoring concerns about the safety and ethics of such events in communities where children are present.
Television journalist Frank Blanco, reporting from Telecinco’s evening program, was unexpectedly cut into a live link by a colleague on location, Silvia Aramo, as questions about the unfolding events were being raised. The moment added a layer of confusion to an already chaotic scene as the connection abruptly dropped before the reporter could answer. The abrupt interruption left viewers and the team wondering what had occurred on the ground.
Video footage circulating at the time showed a man pursuing the reporter with two oxen at his side. The persistent pursuit appeared to disrupt the initial plan for coverage and raised questions about crowd behavior and security in the area. José Ángel Leiras, associated with the reporting team, stated that insults and threats had accompanied the crew since they stepped into town, making it difficult for the journalist to carry out the assignment.
Following an advertising break, Blanco provided an update on the situation, explaining that the signal outage was connected to an individual who had contacted the team in an effort to identify appropriate legal steps. He noted that reconnecting the broadcast was not possible because the partner on site had suffered damage to their equipment during the incident, complicating the ability to continue live coverage.
On a later telephone segment, Silvia Aramo offered a first-person account of the experience. She apologized for her nerves and described a series of tense moments. She recounted how an oxen-driven procession moved toward the square, dragging a calf killed earlier in the event, before her live transmission. She suggested that the episode was intended to intimidate her and those nearby and described a persistent pattern of disturbance during the filming.
Aramo spoke of losing track of time and space as screams and blows to the camera interrupted the broadcast. She said the aggressor targeted both the reporter and others who were trying to shield them, emphasizing the impact of the confrontation on the team and the surrounding people. The report highlighted the safety risks inherent in on-site coverage of controversial local events and the challenges journalists face when access is obstructed by hostile actions.