Women Wrestling in Bolivia

A new craze is sweeping Bolivia where Cholitas are entering the wrestling ring to fight for their identity and pride. I hope that this unusual sport will be included in the next Olympic.



Although legend has it that some indigenous women of the Aymara people, called Cholitas, have been wrestling for up to 20 years, the trend has only recently reached a critical mass.



These indigenous, Indian women jump into the ring every Sunday in their traditional, vibrant multilayered skirts and perform the acrobatic maneuvers of Lucha Libre (a blend of Mexican and American professional wrestling).



Every Sunday, hundreds of men, women and children pack the Multifunctional Auditorium in El Alto, Bolivia, a sprawling lower income extension of La Paz. They come to watch fights between good and evil where good is usually triumphant. Families attend regularly every week and for an entry fee of $1 per person, escape for an afternoon of live entertainment and “justice served in the ring.”