The historical Colla La Bóta, known for its irreverent and critical humor spanning over four decades, intended, along with the Divax comparsa, to highlight the labor conflicts and alleged deterioration of facilities at PortAventura under the title 'Mort Aventura'.
The theme, which had been made public in late November with a promotional poster parodying the park's logo and mascot, prompted a swift response from the company. PortAventura's lawyers sent an email warning of potential legal action for the improper use of their brand.
We are not facing legitimate social criticism that can protect the acts under freedom of expression, but rather an opportunistic use to capitalize on PortAventura's notoriety without articulating any critical message to justify it.
The legal requirement demanded that the group “immediately” cease the promotion of the 'MortAventura' theme and withdraw and destroy all physical and digital materials within one week, citing potential claims for “compensation for the serious damages and prejudice caused to the image and reputation” of the company.
“"We did not want to put anyone at risk. We made the decision to change the theme because the comparsa's lawyers could not guarantee that PortAventura's legal warning would not have personal repercussions."
Ultimately, Colla La Bóta chose to dress as 1920s gangsters with a burlesque touch, aiming to distance themselves as much as possible from any reference to the theme park. The Carnival of Tarragona will take place from February 6 to 17.
