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Human Trafficking News

10 Paraguayan men freed from slavery in Brazil!

By December 1, 2022October 16th, 2023No Comments

Authorities have freed 10 men from labor exploitation on a cassava plantation in a remote area of Brazil.

Using training and technology supplied by The Exodus Road and Cellebrite, Brazilian law enforcement have been diligently investigating and intervening in cases of sex and labor trafficking around the country.

In this particular case, officers found the men living in conditions of slavery. The traffickers restricted the workers’ movement and access to basic necessities, denying them both dignity and worth. The men lived in a concrete shelter, sleeping on bare mattresses on the ground. Holes in the walls let in the elements.

The men, all migrants from Paraguay looking for a way to provide for their families, were forced to work excessive hours without appropriate pay or access to their finances. They also didn’t have access to safety equipment or medical services — harvesting cassava with their bare hands and machetes. To maintain control, the traffickers physically and psychologically abused the men.

But thanks to support given through a partnership with Cellebrite and The Exodus Road, Brazilian law enforcement have been equipped to identify, investigate, and prosecute cases of labor trafficking.

And thanks to Cellebrite, our generous supporters, and the brave work of Brazilian authorities, all of these men have been returned to their homes in Paraguay. Each was paid a restitution fine from the traffickers.

Thank you for helping free these men!