There's always a catch

A jungle route once carried hundreds of thousands of migrants. Now the local economy has crashed

Pilots like Olea, known as lancheros, would earn up to $300 a day, far above the $150 a month many had made from crops. The work grew so lucrative that towns along the river struck a deal to take turns transporting migrants, so each community would have their share.

As some guy (was it Milt?) once said, there's no such thing as a free lunch.