Paseros
This practice was common during the Spain colonization of Colombia, having people act as carriers of loads and passengers. It was one of the most disgusting practices, to see a person strapped with heavy loads, carrying another - just because of economic differences. The posters vertebrae were fused together, due to their job, and they developed hypertrophied leg and back muscles. The reason for this was that it was less expensive to have a man do the job of a mule, and I highly suspect, it had its political element as well, as the first engravings of porters that I saw were those of Indians (native Colombians) carrying Spanish colonists, obviously affluent.
“Desde los 7 años era ‘pasero’. Un bulto de arroz nos lo repartíamos con tres niños y entre todos pasábamos la carga por la serranía”, cuenta el campesino, de 42 años.
Just so you know, it is only US$28 for carrying a person for eight miles. And of course, it is still cheaper to have paseros than to develop an environmentally conscious way for people to move from one place to the other.
I have been a pasero since I was seven years old. A bundle of rice (120 pounds) would be divided among three kids, and between we all we would pass the Serrania (8 miles).
It is a shame this practice exists still.