That's right, for 4 years i dreamed of the day I might see the "cholas" wrestling. I hoped to see the power of revolution in performance. I anticipated moralization of gender and race. I expected the power of the pollera would be manifest in the ring.
On sunday, I took a little tourist bus to la Ceja en El Alto, paid my 80 Bs., shivered, and watched. My previous hopes were not quite realized. Now, don't get me wrong, i am not entirely disappointed. But what I found was more tourist spectacle than local phenomenon (and I wonder if half the local phenomenon is coming to see the crazy gring@s watch the event). And most of women's empowerment seemed to come from demasculinizing men: pulling down their pants, forcing them to wear skirts, etc. Of course, the men retaliated, at times by kissing them (what's that say about sexual violence?).
So the luchadoras are not quite the feminists i had hoped (though, this does not surprise me entirely). but i've also found a lovely little anarchist feminist group. Now, I just have to figure out how this all fits together...