Slave-Like Labor in Rural Southern Brazil: Insights from a Roundtable Discussion

This regional roundtable addresses the persistence of slave-like labor in rural areas of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil—a theme brought to national attention following two major rescue operations in early 2023. On February 22, 208 rural workers were freed in Bento Gonçalves, followed two weeks later by the rescue of 85 others in Uruguaiana. These events sparked public debate and institutional concern over exploitative labor conditions in the region. The roundtable, held in Dom Pedrito in July 2023, brought together local experts, activists, and labor officials to reflect on the structural causes of such practices. The paper also includes insights from a subsequent interview conducted in November 2024 with the regional director of the Ministry of Labor. By focusing on a specific regional context and drawing on firsthand accounts, this contribution seeks to inform broader sociological debates on slave-like labor in contemporary Brazil.