00:00In Bolivia, the miniature fair revitalizes the economy of more than 5,000 artisans, who
00:06participate each year in the traditional a la cita fair, where you can purchase miniature
00:10versions of all the things a person could desire.
00:14According to tradition, these miniature objects come through throughout the year.
00:18Our correspondent, Freddy Morales, gives us the details.
00:21No banking institution might have as many dollar bills in these times of economic crisis
00:28caused by the shortage of dollars as the rosemary sales point.
00:32They buy the dollars that have been sorely lacking this year, the gold dollars, to put
00:38in their wallets and purses.
00:40They have to buy them at 12 o'clock sharp, make a wish and have them blessed so that you
00:44won't be short on cash in the wallet all year long billeter.
00:48These bills are not real, they are purchased in bundles, they are called capital.
00:54Villano produces lots of land with a small house.
00:57A little further on, Fernando offers glass buildings.
01:01New products must be released, when there are new products we sell well, when there is nothing
01:06new there's not much sales.
01:08There are those who like to dream big, who are middle or low income, they buy, they take
01:14risk on their fate to make it a reality.
01:18There are testimonies from clients who have come to me, who told me that at first they
01:23brought a small house as land, then they came back and said my land has been fulfilled,
01:30now I want a building.
01:31In all cases, they are artisans and have inherited the skill of producing miniatures from generation
01:41to generation, and they made their living from them.
01:44The tradition said that for the miniatures to become reality, it must be purchased at
01:48noon on January 24th.
01:50The amount of work and what I earn is enough to support our 11 people, not all of us are
01:56adults, we are cousins, etc.
01:58There are almost eight of us, from my mother and father, but everyone has their own family,
02:04we work together with our children, even our grandchildren help us, as do our nephews and nephews, and even
02:10our neighbors come to help us just for these dates.
02:15The Sitafer, and I'm not a word, meaning to buy, offers everything you could wish for, money, houses, cars, tools, neighborhood stores, pharmacies, drivers, licenses, university degrees, passports, plane tickets, and more.
02:34Everything, we produce everything, we produce house, cars, baskets, we produce land, we also
02:43make small things to build houses, cements, stocco, everything, everything we have, all the
02:51miniature dreams.
02:52You can also get an antidote for loneliness.
02:58If you're given a hen, men will find a partner, and if you're given a rooster, women will also
03:04find a partner this year.
03:05What's more, you can choose.
03:07If it's a black rooster, he will be a widower.
03:09If it's a white rooster, he will be a kind and hard-working man.
03:13If it's red, he will be passionate, and you can choose even more.
03:17It depends on what they want.
03:22If they want a tall man, a short man, or a man in average height, that's why they are roosters of all sizes.
03:29The character of Valacita is the Egeco, the god of abundance.
03:36It commemorates the indigenous uprising led by Tupac Qatari in La Paz in the 18th century,
03:43when the governor took steps to prevent the people from starving to death.
03:46This year, it is estimated to generate an economic impact of almost $6 million.
03:5210,000 artisans replicate the illusions in miniature, and since illusion knows no border,
03:58the festival of abundance is now reaching cities in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, and the United States.
04:05TELESUR, Bolivia.
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