Typification and maps of animal abuse from the Mexican regulations. An analysis from green criminology

Abstract

For green criminology, laws contribute to the development of harm and speciesist approaches against animals. This research analyzes the content of Mexican legislation to find out how crimes against animals are classified and if a speciesist approach is present. Constitutions, penal codes, and administrative laws of the different levels of government in Mexico were reviewed. Federal criminal law provides more protection for wild animals. There are state governments that still do not classify crimes against animals and more than half present a speciesist approach, especially in cultural and sports activities, and only less than 10 % recognize animals as sentient beings. The Mexican State may be contributing to the development of harms against animals by facilitating through legislation the invisibility of certain groups of animals and the tolerance of harmful practices.