The artisans of San Cristobal they are about to start the operation of a cooperative that would be a channel for the sale of artisans and for the purchase of raw materials, reducing costs and obtaining more competitive prices.
But they argue that Government inject seed capital into that cooperative, as well as form a large national cooperative and marketer of artisans or replicate similar cooperatives by region under the guidelines of the National Directorate for the Promotion and Development of Crafts (Fodearte).
The president of the Union of Artisans and Plastic Artist from San Cristóbal, José Damián Matías, explained that such a cooperative could sell the work of several artisans in a single invoice and take care of billing, transportation and collection. He said that they could also access financial tools such as the factoring carried out by Banco de Reservas.
The artisan Cristina Núñez recalled that crafts are a cultural manifestation and use local products that are around such as clay, wood, recycled materials, horns, bones, coconut gourd, among others.
Matías said that they are investigating how they can incorporate sargassum into handcrafted pieces.
The general director of Fodearte, Ramón A. Guillén, said that for tourists the handicrafts of the places they visit are important and they ask for them, and it is estimated that each one spends around US$100 on them.
