Douglas Kuspiosz - Special for Folha - Labor Public Prosecutor's Office/Disclosure
A group of 21 Paraguayan workers was rescued in a situation similar to slavery on Monday (22) in the rural area of Umuarama, in the Northwest. The victims were in accommodation in the Santa Eliza district, and were working on a cassava plantation.
According to the prosecutor of the MPT (Ministério Público do Trabalho), André Vinicius Melatti, an expert and agents of the BPFron (Border Police Battalion) went to the accommodation and found the precariousness of the place, which did not meet the minimum conditions of structure and hygiene.
“They were in a very degraded accommodation, very dirty, without beds, mattresses without bedding, the floor was grimy, there was no electricity and some of the accommodations did not have running water for the toilet, so they were urinating in a corner. The accommodation was very filthy”, said Melatti. “And failing to comply with several rural work rules.”
Another situation faced by workers was debt bondage. Also in Paraguay, an amount of R$ 2,500 per month was promised; but, in practice, they received only R$ 300.
