MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazilian authorities rescue 225 enslaved workers

Slave labor is frequent on many Brazilian farms and fazendas

Brazilian authorities have rescued 225 people who were working in slavery-like conditions in the Amazonian state of Pará, it was reported Saturday. In 2023, a total of 2,575 said workers have been saved through various law enforcement operations, which represents a 31% increase from 2021.

According to local media, the victims, including a minor, worked without defined schedules or adequate safety equipment and were subjected to living in overcrowded, unsanitary, and precarious conditions.

The operations undertaken by the Federal Police, the Labor Public Prosecutor's Office, and the Regional Labor Superintendence were carried out last week in five farms in the municipalities of Capitão Poço, Garrafão do Norte, Tomé Açu, and Terra Alta, but were not made public until the weekend.

The victims were working irregularly in açai, oil palm, and soybean crops, the authorities also explained.

According to a Brazilian Federal Police statement, the 15-year-old minor “was immediately removed from the activities” and appropriate measures are being taken to “ensure that his rights are redressed.” The other workers were also receiving assistance to ensure that they were compensated.

Slave labor is frequent on many Brazilian farms and modern-time fazendas, the authorities admitted.