RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The labor inspectors rescued 1,726 people in 169 cases of labor analogous to slavery in 2021, the highest number ever recorded since 2013 when 170 cases were registered. The data are included in the survey Conflicts in the Countryside, Brazil 2021, by the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), released on April 18.
Last year, the number of people rescued in rural areas was 76% higher than in 2020. In urban areas, 197 workers were rescued, with 214 people involved. Altogether, the records point to an increase of 113% from one year to the next.
The state of Minas Gerais was the one that concentrated most complaints about the cases (763), which resulted in 757 rescues. Following comes the state of Goiás, with 330 denunciations and 302 rescued workers, and the state of Pará, with 275 denunciations and 109 rescues.
The cases involving children and adolescents have also increased: 64 of those rescued last year were children and adolescents, representing an increase of 121% compared to 2020. The Southeast and Midwest regions concentrate the highest number of enslaved minors, 19 minors each.