When the Subaltern Builds: Freddy Mamaniand the Rise of the Bolivian Cholo Power

Abstract

This article analyzes a new form of architecture, the choletcreated by Freddy Mamani, that has revolutionized the Bolivian city of El Alto. These buildings are eclectic, exuberant, and colorful, designed in a Neo-Andean style that defies the canon of western aesthetics. Aymara nouveaux richescommission these buildings, which serve as a source of income, express their religious beliefs, and provide them with greater social recognition. I propose that the choletis a manifestation of the “Postulate of Abundance,” a concept founded by Jeffrey Himpele and elaborated by Nico Tassi, which states that the ostentatious display of material goods and wealth attract the spirits to multiply the richness of these offerings. As a theoretical framework, Homi Bhabha’s notions of Third Space and cultural hybridity are used to propose that Evo Morales’ policies facilitated the opening of a liminal zone. In this area, powerful and rich aymara merchants claim a prestigiousposition in Bolivian society and negotiate a new identity, the one of a new cholo, those embodying cholo power.