La Paz mayor Luis Revilla faces off against governnor César Cocarico in a hotly contested fooseball match. Photo by Radio Erbol.

The Department of La Paz’s governor César Cocarico used a strong defense to help him defeat La Paz mayor Luis Revilla 3-2 in a televised bout of fooseball that kicked off La Paz’s famous Alasitas Fair. Alasitas are miniature versions of everyday objects that many Bolivians believe can be used in rituals and sacrifices to gain the larger objects that they represent. The fair sports a dazzling mileau of miniature cars, trucks, houses, currencies, food, and household objects. The two mayors demonstrated how they will put aside their differences by playing this friendly fooseball match. Revilla took his loss like a gentleman and gifted Cocarico miniature Euros and miniature US dollars to the laughter of the gathered throng. Next, the two officials ate a traditional Chairo soup in the Camacho market and visited the rest of the Alasitas fair.