Brazil rescues hundreds from slave labor, reaches landmark in fight

Brazilian authorities recently rescued 479 people from conditions similar to slavery during a nationwide operation, bringing the total number of people liberated from such situations since 1995 to over 70,000.

The month-long “Operation Rescue 6” involved labor inspectors, prosecutors, police, and public defenders working simultaneously across the country. Rescued workers included 13 children and adolescents, 75 women, nine domestic workers, and 68 migrants from eight countries including Argentina, Senegal, and Venezuela.

The operation focused on both rural and urban areas, with the majority of rescues, 57.5%, occurring on farms. In Minas Gerais state, authorities found two domestic workers, aged 90 and 65, who had been working for the same family for 75 and 58 years respectively, being transferred from one generation to the next without labor rights or opportunities.

Another case involved 44 workers harvesting potatoes, including 21 from northeastern Brazil, 17 from Senegal, five from Burkina Faso, and one from Guinea-Bissau, who lacked basic sanitation and hygiene. Beyond immediate rescue, the government provided over R$1.4 million in back wages and enrolled each rescued worker in a special unemployment insurance program. The Brazilian government began its formal fight against modern slavery in 1995, recognizing its persistence within the country and establishing a system to combat it.

Ironically, the country’s effective approach to fighting slavery is considered more efficient than policies in the United States, which has the highest number of people enslaved in the Americas, nearly 1.1 million, and imports the most products at risk of being made with forced labor.