A centuries-old sport continues to wither away in Latin America; however, some toreros continue to battle for tradition of bullfighting, going on a hunger strike to demand a return of the sport.

Bullfighting continues in many Latin American countries, a holdover from Spanish colonial rule. However, younger generations have lost interest in the sport and some view as barbaric, pushing Bogota's mayor Gustavo Petro to ban bullfighting in the Colombian capital in early 2012.

Yet, eight bullfighters have gone on a hunger strike to demand the return of bullfighting, according to BBC News. The toreros have camped out outside the Santamaria Bullring, Bogota's only bullring, for the past week with a banner that reads, "We don't want food, we're hungry for bull!"

The bullfighters argue that the ban has cost the city around 35,000 jobs and around $1.6 million in revenue, according to Colombia Reports. Although the men have not been eating, they have been taking liquids.

The Associated Press reports that one of the strikers had to be hospitalized due to illness but now seven remain. Yet, they remain adamant on returning to the ring and performing the corridas, as the fights are known in Spanish.

"Here we are waiting for the Mayor to decide on the bullring. What will happen to the bullring, because that man has sidelined us; here everyone looks at us (bullfighters) as the worst scum of the world," said Diego Torres, 19, one of the protesting bullfighters. He claims the mayor "took our work ... we win a little more than minimum wage per corrida depending on the square."

However, the AP reports that Colombia's constitutional court will decide whether bullfighting will return to Bogota. The same court had overturned Petro's ban in October 2012 but Petro refused to comply. Now, the court will decide on a lawsuit brought by the Bullfighting Corporation of Bogota, which argues that Petro did not have the authority to cancel the bullring's contract that expired on March 2015.