Drums thundered down Progreso Street from the Tantuyo Cultural Center as the scent of fresh corn, coconut, and coffee drifted through the air. Beneath strings of papel picado, women from Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, El Salvador and beyond offered tastes of home — and a glimpse of new beginnings. The seventh edition of the Bazar de las Mujeres Migrantes, organized by the women’s collective Caminantas, turned a quiet Guadalajara afternoon into a celebration of Latin America’s resilience in exile.
“We hold two bazaars a year,” explained Mariángel Vielma, Caminantas’ outreach coordinator, who came to Mexico from Venezuela. “They’re meant for migrant and refugee women in our network to have a space where they can sell their products and promote their work.”
Over the course of seven editions, the event has become an incubator for small businesses. “Several of them have already managed to build their brands and grow since that first bazaar up to this last one,” she said. One of her favorite success stories is Estefi, a Salvadoran woman who started selling savory pupusas at the bazaar and now owns her own restaurant. “The idea is to help the women gain economic autonomy — and to see them thrive, that’s the goal.”
Attendance has grown with each event. “At the last bazaar we counted 106 people registered at the entrance,” Vielma said. “But we estimate between 110 and 140 actually attended.” For Caminantas, she added, that growth means more visibility — and more community.
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