Leonel de Jesús Loaiza Muñoz
mule driver, Concordia, Antioquia
Leonel de Jesús Loaiza has been a traditional mule driver for over forty years. His mules carry various agricultural products, especially fruits grown in the farms of Concordia. He has perfected different forms of packing mules.
"I was born and raised in the mountains. I have worked my whole life in the countryside as a muledriver, but no one appreciates us."
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Leonel de Jesús Loaiza Muñoz prepares Sassy, the mule, for a coffee loading demonstration with help from Program Coordinator Crisitina Diaz-Carrera.
Photo by Marguerite Quirey, Smithsonian Institution