Mexico kicks off mezcal international fair

Vendors and liquor connoisseurs have gathered in Oaxaca to kick off the 19th international fair of the popular relative of the Mexican tequila—the mezcal.

The fair, which showcased variations of the artisanal distilled drink, comes at the time when bars specializing in mezcal are booming all over the country.

“Mezcal is a spirit. There’s lots of magic in the making process. It has lots of history and it tells us a little bit about all the communities in Oaxaca,” said Alba Alonso, stand assistant.

Vendors and liquor connoisseurs have gathered in Oaxaca to kick off the 19th international fair of the popular relative of the Mexican tequila - the mezcal.

Like tequila, mezcal is made by distilling the fermented juice of agave cacti. production regulations in recent years have helped the drink find its way into the upper echelon of the world of spirits.

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, hundreds of fans of Japanese animation have gathered for the 2016 Anime Friends Convention.

Some visitors entered a cosplay—short for costume play—contest, dressing up as their favorite characters. 

“This character is tough and unfriendly. I love to dress up as her and people don't even recognize me,” said Lula Bon Tsukino, Argentine cosplayer.

The three-day event, is the biggest of its kind in Latin America. 

Meanwhile, hundreds of Chileans have taken a dip in the freezing waters of the Pacific Ocean to celebrate the annual winter pre-carnival.

In what is known as the “strait plunge,” residents and visitors alike ran into the icy waters of Punta Arenas, at the Strait of Magellan, more than 3,000 kilometers from the capital Santiago.