– ¿Desde cuándo sienten empatía por los animales?
I've always felt empathy for animals because I've had a dog and other pets at home since I was little. Also, everyone in my family loves animals. From a very young age, my mother took us to anti-bullfighting demonstrations and other animal rights events.
-When and why did you decide to stop eating animals?
My mother had been a vegetarian for a long time, even back in university, so she gave us very little meat. She gradually eliminated meat until she was only feeding us fish. Then I was the one who refused to eat fish and anything that came from animals, even though my mother thought it was a bit too soon to give up so many things. She was very concerned about it, and now the whole family is vegan, although it has been difficult for my mother to learn so much about veganism.
– Throughout your life as a student, do you think the teaching staff has treated animals respectfully?
Not always. There are many teachers I've known who have been bullfighting fans, and have boasted about it, or who have conveyed to us that animals are at the service of human beings, and do not feel emotions or pain, nor do they have rights.
– What does your family think about you being vegan?
My family is also vegan, like me; we've all come to this awareness. My mother was the first to realize it, back in college, even though there wasn't any information available about it at the time, but it's something you're born with.
– Do your colleagues understand your decision?
My colleagues generally understand and are curious about the topic. And now they respect me, but it hasn't always been this way, as in other schools they have bullied me and not respected me.
– Do you encounter problems in your daily life trying to maintain this lifestyle?
Well, not at home because my mother gives us this diet, although it's a real struggle for her, but it's often a problem when we're out and about. You can't just go for a snack with your friends, or you can't go on a trip unless you're loaded down with kilos of vegan food, and you're always having to explain yourself everywhere. If you go out to eat with your family, you're always looking for the right place, and there aren't that many. Anyway, sometimes it's complicated, especially when traveling. Also, for example, if you get sick, your doctor will also give you grief and won't understand why you eat this way, telling you that "you have to eat everything." Yes, sometimes it's difficult.