Country
Modern slavery in Brazil
15 documented cases recorded in Brazil, 2007–2011. Locations are deliberately generalized to protect survivors.
Claudia, Mato Grosso, Brazil, Brazil
Original source translated using googletranslate.com: 6 workers were rescued from a farm in Claudia, Mato Grosso. The workers had been hired informally for approx. 2 months, and were promised $25 per hectare of land cleared for cattle grazing. The accommodation consisted of two canvas tents and mattresses. The employer did not provide transport from the accommodation to the farm. Food was prepared in a wood stove which had been made by the workers. The workers drank water from a stream which did not pass through any filtering system. There were also no toilet facilities. It was also reported that pesticides were exposed in an open shed which was less than 30 meters from the housing.
Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Brazil
Original source translated using googletranslate.com: 51 workers were released from their posts working as railway maintenance workers on the stretch of track that runs through the State Park of Serra do Mar between Bot and Santos. The workers were urgently employed, to fill a personnel gap, by a subcontractor of the overall rail company. Most of the victims were recruited from Santo Amaro (Bahia) with false promises – they were initially promised pay of $1,000 with a formal contract. They were promised a schedule of 22 days of work, followed by 8 days of rest. However, after more than two months, some workers had only received $680. The workers’ documents were retained, and their freedom was restricted. Dissatisfaction among workers increased and some managed to leave and return to Bahia. Others were transferred to accommodation in Serra do Mar, where inspectors became aware that the workers were being held as slaves. The accommodation consisted of isolated containers in the woods where workers were forced to sleep on the floor – many reported feeling cold and hungry. Before a kitchen was developed, they often received sour food from another accommodation. There were also limited bathroom facilities and hot water. Work began at 7am for 17 hours a day, 7 days a week. One worker said: “I ask for time off and said, ‘If you want, take. But outside the housing.’ I had to stay outside the housing. Not enough to eat. The only option was to continue working.’ The released workers recalled times when they had to replace de-railed cars back onto the tracks during the night (between evening and the following morning) – it took great physical effort, but they were given no breaks or food. Physical assaults were witnessed, and threats were also recorded regarding machetes and firearms.
Primavera do Leste, Mato Grosso, Brazil, Brazil
Original source translated using googletranslate.com: 12 workers were rescued from a farm in Primavera do Leste. This area belongs to an official of the Court of the State of Mato Grosso (who is also a nephew of the Congressman). The workers’ accommodation was in poor condition and did not have side walls. Some workers slept on beds which were made out of crates and lined with foam, while others slept on matresses on the floor. There were no sanitary facilities on site. Surveillance suggests that the working conditions were ‘appalling’, with poor hygiene and a poor supply of food with low nutritional food. The workers were not provided with any personal protective equipment – this was verified by an inspection on 9th Feb 2011.
Jaguaruna, Santa Catarina, Brazil, Brazil
Investigations into the nightclub after several complaints that Paraguayan women were prostituting themselves there. “The investigation revealed that the women originally arrived in Brazil on 45 to 90-day visas, and returned to Paraguay briefly after their visas expired. They would then return to Brazil on new visas. The nightclub paid for the women’s travel back and forth, forcing them to recuperate the costs with their work as prostitutes. Five women who testified against the three operators of the ring said that they worked as prostitutes in order to send money to their families back in Paraguay.”
Vargem, Santa Catarina, Brazil, Brazil
Information translated using googletranslate.com: 23 workers were rescued from a tobacco farm/plantation where they worked ‘on similar terms to the slave’. 11 of the rescued workers were between the ages of 12-16. The workers were made to apply pesticides to the tobacco crop in bare feet/flip-flops, and without protective equipment. The International Labor Organization (ILO) states that such work can result in cancer and other fatal degenerative diseases – it is expressly forbidden for children under 18 years of age. There was no appropriate place for the chemicals to be stored or prepared for use. There were also no washing facilities for those who had come into contact with the chemicals. The workers had not studied, and did not have access to the ‘Pesticide Risk Management for Workers’. The adults and children were transported to work at approx. 6am each day in a ‘bucket’ that was attached to the rear of a tractor. They then worked for 19 hours at the farm. It was reported that there was one bathroom, and that they shared drinking water from the same glass. The pesticides, water and food for workers were all being transported in the same buckets. The adults were not registered, and therefore not protected by social security. They had not received any medical benefits, and had been denied rights such as paid weekly rest, adequate salary. Some of the workers were reported to have been working approx. 26 days, and other 3 or 4 days.
Sao Paulo, Brazil, Brazil
The Brazilian government rescued 15 workers from a factory sub-contracted by AHA, the company responsible for 90% of Zara's Brazilian production. Fourteen of the workers were Bolivians and one was from Peru. One was 14. Renato Bignami, who led the investigation, said the workers – who lived on the premises – worked 12-hour shifts in dangerous and unhealthy conditions. They were not allowed to leave the premises. One victim told the TV channel A Liga that the labour component of a pair of Zara jeans selling at $126 (£76) was $1.14, which was divided between the seven people involved in the process. The workers earned between $156 and $290 a month. The minimum wage in Brazil is $344.
Várzea Grande - Mato Grosso, Brazil
Original source translated using googletranslate.com: 20 women and 4 men were found in ‘degrading conditions’ and subjected to ‘exhaustive days’ described as similar to slavery (according to art. 149 of the Penal Code). They were held in sexual exploitation and debt bondage at a nightclub in the “Zero KM” region of Mato Grosso. All the survivors were between 18 and 23 years old. They did not receive the paid weekly rest required by law, and their salary was paid in “chips” which could be exchanged for overpriced products from the store in the club. Some workers had signed contracts which meant that they could not leave the premises until their debt had been paid. The women lived in overcrowded conditions with poor ventilation and fire protection. The sanitary conditions were inadequate and did not comply with hygiene standards.
Tocantins - Minas Gerais, Brazil, Brazil
381 individuals were subjected to slave-like conditions on a farm in the municipality of Caseara. Their work on the farm included fertilizing, planting and harvesting crops between March and April 2009. The workers contracts were found to be fraudulent The workers were forced to work 11 hours a day in degrading conditions – the housing was overcrowded, and there were no sanitary facilities. The workers were also in contact with chemicals without appropriate protection.
Labrea, Amazonas, Brazil, Brazil
The rescue operation/investigation was led by the Ministry of Labor and the Federal Police. The manager was prosecuted (he has been under investigation since 2008). The chief prosecutor reported that a group was formed to investigate this particular job site, and that their actions in this region will be intensified. The prosecution was led by the MPT: "The MPT is an autonomous body which is independent from the legislative, executive and judiciary powers. Its priorities are to promote equality of opportunity; prevent discrimination; eradicate child, slave and degrading labour; guarantee an adequate labour environment; eliminate fraudulent labour practices; protect against irregularities in public administration; protect port and waterway workers and guarantee freedom of association and collective bargaining."
Bom Retiro, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Brazil
Information collected via GOOGLE TRANSLATE: Three Bolivian traffickers were arrested for employing 12 workers in ‘conditions analogous to slavery. They had three apartments in the clandestine garment centre of Sao Paulo where the Bolivian workers were forced to live and work in 17 hours shifts. Some of the workers were related to the three traffickers – and some were less than 17 year of age. They received $0.50 per garment made, which earned them a monthly salary of $150. Some of the workers were recruited in Bolivia by members of their own family with the promise of housing and a better salary.
Para, Brazil, Brazil
180 workers were found working on two ranches owned by ‘Lima Araujo Agropecuaria’, in the state of Para, Brazil. This included several adolescents. The premises had previously been raided five times in total between 1998 and 2002. The workers were forced to live in mud huts, with no water and little sanitation. It is reported that sick workers were also denied medical treatment.
Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Brazil
The human trafficking ring in question would charge Brazillian emigrants up to $15,000 for false documents and to be smuggled into the U.S. There, members of the gang would abduct the emigrants and demand ransom for them from their families. The U.S. Consulate reported, “They left from Brazil and went initially to Guatemala, from where J.C.'s coyotes (migrant smugglers) guided the clients across Mexico to the border with the United States border.” In some of the cases, migrants were abducted in Texas, and their families were asked for ransoms of up to $10,000. The abducted migrants were often tortured or threatened with mutiliation. Investigations began when J.C. was arrested on charges of forging passports in July 2010. Subsequently, twelve members of the gang were arrested. Ten of those arrests took place in Governador Valadares.
Maranhao, Brasil, Brazil
yes, Inocencio Oliveira of the opposition rightist Liberal Front Party was sentenced to pay $185,000 in fines for the 53 workers found in slavelike conditions during a raid on his farm last year (2002)." http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2003-11-08/news/0311080039_1_brazil-lawmaker-slavery
Aboard a tourist boat on the Amazon River, in the State of Amazonas, Brazil, Brazil
A man from Georgia in the United States, was accused of trafficking young women/offering sex with underage girls to customers paying to go on his fishing tours of the Amazon basin. His ex-wife was president of the fishing operation. The boat was described as a high-end river cruiser popular with wealthy American fishers. The four Brazilian plaintiffs (one was aged 12 at time of exploitation) reported that the man used a combination of promises, alcohol, and drugs to lure them onto the fishing boat. Once aboard, they were coerced into performing sexual acts with the man and his customers. Brazilian prosecutors state that there is both photographic and video evidence including “numerous images of Brazilian women in sexual poses within the vessels and in the company of foreign tourists.” It is described that the man used his agents and employees to recruit customers in the US to engage in such ‘sex tourism’. Court documents from Brazil and the US suggest that customers included members of a group that are currently under investigation for human trafficking, prostitution and child sex tourism. The man from Georgia sent his employees into the local community, and nightclubs along the Amazon to recruit young girls. In return, they were reported to have been paid a ‘modest’ sum of money. One report states: “The case is noteworthy because it is the first time that the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) will be used by alleged victims of trafficking to seek damages from a sex tour operation.” An example of the court transcript can be viewed here: http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/_news/2011/04/30/6562102-brazil-prosecutes-schair-co-for-running-house-of-prostitution A YouTube newscast showing the girls being interviewed, as well as footage of the boat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aENcxcxC2gk&feature=player_embedded
Brazil, Brazil
The company has denied abusing workers. It was slapped with a $1.1 million fine and its directors charged with "submitting workers to conditions analogous to slavery." If found guilty, they could be sentenced to up to 15 years in jail.