Slave Labor in Brazil

The Brazilian government is stepping up their efforts to eradicate slavery from their country, according to CNN. Human slavery is an issue that affects approximately 12.3 million people worldwide. Within Brazilian borders, it is said that between 25,000 and 40,000 citizens are victims of some form of slavery. In Brazil, citizens are recruited for employment far away from family and friends. Once separated from their social network, they are forced to work to pay off debt from loans or transportation. After this, they have no control over working conditions or what they are paid. In an effort to fight this, the Brazilian government employees a "Special Mobile Inspection Group" made up of labor inspectors, federal officers, and attorneys. They raid workplaces looking for people being forced to work against their will. In 2007, they freed 5,999 workers. Since 1995, they have successfully freed 33,000 workers.
While slave labor is an issue, it is not the issue. Slave labor as a practice is a direct result of poverty. One in four Brazilians live in poverty, and bringing this number down is made more difficult by the vastness of the country and business interests. Brazil is approximately the size of the United States, and has a large agricultural sector. Besides the use of special task forces, the government has relatively few tools to combat the situation. The powerful agriculture companies have fought proposed legislation enabling the government to confiscate lands on which slave labor has been used.