Traveling around South America for a couple of months. My Spanish still sucks, so my translations may not be perfect, but estoy aprendiendo. Deal with it.

You know you’ve arrived in Bogotá when the airport is filled with signs warning you not to mule.

It would be very sad for your family if you were a mule!

Interesting that the deterrent here isn’t jail, violent reprisal, or any other punishment — they’re appealing to shame and family honor.

Here’s another anti-mule sign, this one posted in front of the McDonald’s in the airport food court.

And since you told your family you were a mule?
(With, I believe, roughly the tone of “and how’s that working out for you?”)

Again, the emphasis is on family shame above all other deterrents. Including the nice young men with with large weapons nearby.

Not sure what that says about Colombian culture, but it’s hard to imagine the US analog having any effect: Kids! If you got involved with drugs — your parents wouldn’t like it.

Yeah. That would totally work.

Not sure how well it’s working in Colombia, either. But still, fascinating to see.

Update: The second one may be closer to “And have you already told you’re family you were a mule?”. The same general gist. I’m still working on my Spanish, obviously. Yo disculpe para cualquier errores durante este proceso.