On Friday evening, a tragedy occurred in the Andalusian town of Beas de Segura (Jaén province) during the traditional San Marcos festival. Santiago Barrero San Román, a 33-year-old cattle breeder, suffered fatal injuries from a bull in full view of the festival participants. The incident took place around 19:00 at the event, which is recognized as a Festival of Tourist Interest of Andalusia and features the famous toros ensogados—bulls on ropes.
According to the Hermandad de San Marcos and the municipality, the bull suddenly attacked the man, inflicting several deep wounds to his abdomen, groin, and chest. The victim was urgently taken to a mobile medical unit set up near Plaza San Marcos. Despite emergency surgery and doctors’ efforts, his condition remained critical. He died around 20:00 as they attempted to transfer him to the hospital.
Response of emergency services and cancellation of events
Immediately after the incident, personnel from the Andalusia 112 emergency service arrived, as well as representatives of Protección Civil, the local police and the Guardia Civil. Organizers decided to cancel all festival events scheduled for Friday. On Saturday, the fiesta is expected to continue, but will begin with a minute of silence in memory of the deceased.
Who was the victim
The deceased, Santiago Barrero San Román, owned the Toros de San Román ranch together with his wife Vanesa, founded in 2022. Their bulls, descended from the Torrestrella line, graze in Villamanrique (Ciudad Real). Santiago Barrero San Román was the grandson of renowned breeder Antonio San Román and previously managed the family farm. His death was reported by the Asociación de Ganaderías de Lidia, with an emphasis that the tragedy occurred on April 24.
Condolences and reactions
Words of support to the family and colleagues were expressed by the Fundación Toro de Lidia, the owners of the Montealto and Peñajara ranches, as well as the matador Tomás Rufo. Among politicians, Paco Núñez, head of the PP in Castilla-La Mancha, and the mayor of San Sebastián de los Reyes, Lucia Soledad Fernández Alonso, also responded, noting that the deceased was the husband of their fellow countrywoman Vanesa and was respected in the municipality.
The topic of safety and tradition at Spanish festivals is regularly discussed. In recent years, attention to such incidents has been increasing, as has the interest in cultural events related to bulls. For example, RTVE recently introduced a new series about the lives of teachers and students, bringing family comedies back to television — more details about this project can be found in the article about the launch of a new school series and family evenings on La 1.
