he goal in these coming years in Brazil and Latin America is to work on abolishing exploitation in the workforce, which can be seen as a true and real form of slavery. This was noted by
Bishop Pedro Casaldaliga, Claretian bishop of the diocese of Sao Felix do Araguaia, one of the most vocal prelates on social concerns.
This message by Bishop Casaldaliga got its cue from the la test report by the Ministry of work in Brazil, which states that in the first six months of 2003, over 1,600 citizens were forced to work in a regime of slavery in the large estates in the North and North east. It was Bishop Casaldaliga who in fact, back in 1972, spoke out against the first cases of slavery in the “fazendas”.
“For 500 years, in Brazil and Latin America, this drama of slave-like working conditions has been a sad reality. This phenomenon is still tied today with exploitation due to poverty and unemployment. To this we must add the lack of agrarian reform and the lack of laws dealing with workers’ rights. In Brazil, financial checks and the difficult monitoring of work conditions are compounded by the vastness of the land.”
For 500 years, in Brazil and Latin America, this drama of slave-like working conditions has been a sad reality. This phenomenon is still tied today with exploitation due to poverty and unemployment.
Regarding this social plague, the Church “can get involved in spreading information speaking out against this phenomenon and preventing it. We need national campaigns asking the government for proper punishments. Unfortunately for employers, the sentences are ridiculous,” even if social changes of great importance are coming about. Today “the acceptance of this plague is the first step in eliminating slavery.”
Regarding the renewed commitment of the government, the bishop noted that “in the last few weeks an alarming number of corruption cases have been discovered in Brazil that are seen as a social plague. This is good in that it opens up the problem of impunity. Also looked at recently was the ‘Agrarian Reform Plan’. If this comes about, Brazil will made great strides in eliminating slavery as the measures for checks and prevention will be greater.”
(From VID)