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

What is it about?

This chapter describes the forms of empowerment achieved or not achieved by the "Cholitas luchadoras", Bolivian women who wrestle in lucha libre events in traditional costumes. The chapter suggests that the impacts of the luchadoras’ performances might be less progressive than journalistic accounts describe, given the history of "indigenismo." This ideology frames the practice of lucha libre in Bolivia, as it melds violence and theatrical performance. The historical context of icons of indigeneity in Bolivia, including the pollera as a symbol of protest, as well as the “cholita,” explain their representations in the wrestling ring. Looking at both the luchadoras’ own assessments of their wrestling performances, as well as audience members’, this chapter analyses the impact of this phenomenon in the context of indigenismo and the violent nature of lucha libre.

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