The Urban Curandero¹

Accounts of the curandero in Latin America indicate reliance upon a largely peasant‐derived sterotype. The utility of such stereotypes for understanding curanderismo in an urban context is questioned. With Bogota, Colombia as an example, it is proposed that the concept of an “urban curing complex”—a holistic approach to curative facilities in the city—replace present over‐reliance upon one model (peasant) of curer style and healing.