UnBoliviable Bouts: Gender and Essentialisation of Bolivia’s Cholitas Luchadoras

Abstract

Every Sunday, around 4 pm, the wrestling show begins in the Multipurpose Arena of El Alto, just outside of La Paz, Bolivia. It usually begins with two men dressed in spandex unitards and full head masks, or perhaps like a werewolf or mummy. They throw each other around the ring doing flips from the ropes in the process. Eventually, one pins the other for a count of three. There may be two or three more matches like this, but then the real audience favourites enter the ring. The ‘Cholitas Luchadoras’ step out of the dressing room to local cumbia music and take a few laps around the stage dancing and flirting with the audience. They dress similar to Bolivian folkloric dancers wearing simple sweaters, dainty shoes and their most distinguishing feature — calf length full-layered skirts, locally called polleras (see Figure 17.1).