Escape From a Slave-Labor Camp

Photo by David Snyder/CRS

AMAZONIA, Brazil—In October 2005, José, a 27-year-old, was enticed to work on soybean farms in Amazonia. Lack of jobs forces many young Brazilians to accept work that will take them far from home, working for minimal wages.

On reaching the farm, Jose found the "lodging" he was promised—a thatched shack shared by 20 others, with no toilets, no bedding, dirty water and only a hammock to sleep on after a 17-hour workday.

José was required to pay for his stay, food and equipment. This put him in debt immediately. With no money to pay off his debt or return home, José got trapped in a cycle of debt that could never be paid off.

When José found the courage to question his boss, he was threatened at gunpoint. Fearing for his life, he escaped into the forest. José was eventually rescued and taken to a CRS-supported human rights center, where authorities were contacted. By telling his story, José helped free 20 other men.

Help Freed Slave Laborers Find Jobs

In Brazil today, up to 40,000 people are working under slave-like conditions. Especially in the north, a lack of jobs and extremely poor living conditions make residents vulnerable to trafficking. CRS Brazil's Trails of Liberty project helps freed slave laborers find jobs, and works to prevent people from falling into this trap.