Brazil rescues 29 workers from slave‑like conditions in Bahia and Pernambuco
A joint operation by Brazil's Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE), the Public Ministry of Labor (MPT), the Federal Public Defender's Office (DPU) and the Federal Police freed 29 workers who were found in conditions analogous to slavery at three stone quarries in Sento Sé and Casa Nova (Bahia) and Santa Cruz (Pernambuco). Inspectors recorded severe violations: lack of potable water, inadequate meals, sleeping on mattresses in canvas barracks, no personal protective equipment, exposure to health hazards and food stored alongside toxic substances. The raid also uncovered illegal mineral extraction.
The companies involved signed Terms of Adjustment (TACs) and will pay almost R$ 500 000 in severance and individual compensation, plus R$ 30 000 and R$ 102 500 for collective moral damages. A related inspection in Santa Cruz rescued nine additional workers, confirming the broader scope of the enforcement action.