De la Tapia was born in
Potosí, Bolivia, the second of five siblings. After completing high school she moved to
Tacna, Peru, and then to
Lima. Shortly afterwards, de la Tapia returned to Bolivia and assisted in the establishment of a school of aviation in the country, which opened in 1923. In the early 1930s, de la Tapia went to France and qualified as a pilot at the
Caudron school. She attempted to enlist to fly in the
Chaco War to defend her country, but women were not permitted in the armed forces. In 1958, when the
Bolivian Air Force was officially incorporated, de la Tapia was given the rank of captain, and later lieutenant colonel. ==References==