(2 Jan 2020) Every year, in the Andean city of Cusco, thousands of people gather to watch competitors slug it out during a traditional festival known as the Tacanacuy, loosely translated from Quechua as the 'Two People Hitting Each Other' Festival. The festival is also celebrated in other Andean towns and is seen as a personal way of leaving all troubles behind and entering the new year with a smile.
On Wednesday men, women and children took part in the bareknuckle fights to resolve a number of conflicts, from disputes over land, to accusations of cattle rustling - and even affairs of the heart.
The rules state that the first one to be knocked over in the arena is disqualified and the competitors are made to embrace after the fight.
Referees holding whips are on hand to make sure nobody gets hurt and to break the competitors up when necessary.
During and between fights people dance to local music called huaylia, many of the men wearing animals carcasses, dead birds and antlers on their heads.
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