Cholitas in Bolivia - women's wrestling in national clothes

Cholitas is a women's wrestling, which has now become very popular in Bolivia. The fighters taking part in it enter the ring in national clothes. A huge number of spectators come to see local girls fighting in magnificent bright dresses, among which are both Bolivians themselves and visiting tourists. The show, arranged by women, is incredibly colorful and spectacular, but, despite the fact that all the fights are staged, sometimes it can not do without torn hair and even broken teeth.

In the past, Spanish conquistadors despised the girls born from the connection of the Spaniard with a woman from the tribe of the Indians. Over time, the contemptuous meaning of this word has changed, and in the modern world it has become a designation of women who remain faithful to national clothes. From the same word the word "cholita" was formed, which is its diminutive and caressing version.

Most of the choles live in such regions of the Bolivian Andes as Chukisaka, La Paz, Taria, Potosi, Oruro and Cochabamba. Residents of the mountains, perhaps, have always been lovers of a variety of Mexican wrestling, called them Lucha Libre (lucha libre). It differs from the American one in that the wrestlers wear masks and beautiful colored outfits, and the battle itself is often accompanied by artistic and acrobatic performances. Gradually, the fashion of the Lucha Libre also moved to Bolivia.

According to the rules, each Cholita performing in Bolivian wrestling must be in a national costume. Women dressed in colorful polieras skirts look very colorful. Most of the fighters in Cholitas are already middle-aged housewives, but they do not feel any pity for their rivals, throwing them on the floor, grabbing their hair and striking first, which comes to hand. Therefore, there are cases when during the match the fair sex get very serious injuries.