11/13/2011 10:07:23 PM EST
When China hosted the Summer Olympics, the government flagrantly violated human rights of citizens in order to put a “happy face” on the country for those who attended and watched the games. Forced relocations and misappropriation of water supplies are but two examples. The only unintended beneficial side effect was the temporary protection of animal rights as Beijing temporarily banned canines from local restaurant menus to prevent Westerners from being offended by the service of Fido as the main course.
With the 2016 Summer Olympics scheduled in Rio, one must wonder how many human rights abuses will occur or be covered up by governmental authorities in a public relations effort intended to show Brazil as a developed country. Sadly, we will see more focus on a Potemkin Rio built for the media than the human trafficking and other rights abuses pervasive throughout the country.
Although Brazil banned slavery per its1888 Golden Law, forced labor of tens of thousands of workers occurs daily driving the economic “miracle” talked about by financial analysts. Whether it is a São Paulo domestic servant, a Mato Grosso cattle farm laborer, or a northern Brazilian charcoal burning worker helping to fill global demand for pig iron, men and woman are working as de facto slaves.
In many cases, the laborers do not have employment contracts and are not paid for their services. To the extent that payment is made, these victims are in turn required to use such earnings to partially pay for food and shelter while incurring debt for the balance that will never be repaid. This situation ensures a dependency and corresponding perpetual servitude...not to mention a growing sense of hopelessness and depression among the victims. Such “contracts” as many exist are contracts of adhesion with one-sided exploitative terms, thus employing Brazilian law as a tool to enslave those that it is expected also to protect.
Rampant poverty has made it possible for many women and children, particularly in rural areas, to become international trafficking victims. Traffickers promise a better life and then ship the victims abroad to be abused in other countries.
Race and ethnicity appear to play a role in this tragedy. Forced labor and trafficking victims invariably are dark-skinned descendants of slaves while those who take advantage of them more often than not have light skin. Perhaps there is a cultural disposition for such mistreatment despite laws banning it.
To be sure, the Brazilian government condemns slavery. Whether it is a lack of law enforcement resources or simply misplaced governmental priorities, forced labor and human trafficking remains common. One has to wonder how many Brazilian lives could be improved if the resources being invested in the 2016 bread and circuses were instead committed to stamping out human trafficking and de facto slavery, and providing more access to fundamental human rights and economic opportunity for the Brazilian masses regardless of skin tone.
Slavery: A 21st Century Evil – Charcoal Slaves, Al Jazeera (Nov. 8, 2011)
Latin America fights human trafficking, Costa Rica News (Oct. 23, 2011)
Brazil has thousands working in forced labor: ILO, AFP (Oct. 25, 2011)
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