Bolivia’s deadly West Side Story
IN PARTS of Bolivia's high Andean plateau, village festivals include ritualised boxing matches between neighbouring communities. These fights between young men wearing richly coloured costumes and cowhide copies of conquistador helmets often leave contestants badly injured. But this year community rivalry has gone far beyond ritual. Since January, about 50 people have died in a complex vendetta involving three communities near the town of Challapata, on the borders of Oruro and Potosi provinces—one of Bolivia's bleakest and poorest regions.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “Bolivia’s deadly West Side Story”
From the July 22nd 2000 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
Entrevista con Javier Milei, presidente de Argentina
Transcripción de su encuentro con nuestro corresponsal
An interview with Javier Milei, Argentina’s president
A transcript of his meeting with our journalist
Mexico and Canada brace for Donald Trump’s tariff thrashing
Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada’s Justin Trudeau are taking different approaches to looming trade war
Javier Milei, free-market revolutionary
Argentina’s president explains how he has overturned the old economic order
Is Uruguay too stable for its own good?
The new president must deal with serious problems with growth, education and crime
Bolsonaro’s bid to regain Brazil’s presidency may end in prison
Brazilian police have accused some of his backers of involvement not just in a coup, but in an assassination plot