|
Brother Xavier Plassat, coordinator of Brazil's Land Pastoral Commission's Campaign to Combat Slave Labor, said that he considers it an advance that the Brazilian judicial system has condemned federal deputy Inocêncio Oliveira (Partido Liberal, Pernambuco state) for the degrading labor conditions in which 53 workers were found on lands he used to own.
The Maranhão Regional Labor Court imposed a fine of US$ 241.39 thousand (530 thousand reais) on the deputy, who is first secretary of the Chamber of Deputies' leadership commission. "It is a courageous step by the Labor Court system, following up on what inspectors caught in the act when they visited the properties," the friar told reporters in an interview. He recalled that "there was a time when these occurrences did not even warrant legal proceedings." He pointed out, however, that even now the penalties do not correspond to what the law determines in cases of rural workers submitted to slave conditions: "We have a hard time getting the courts to deal effectively with these violators. Nobody has ever been sent to jail for this crime, despite the fact that more than 18,000 workers have been rescued in the past ten years. Over 500 individuals responsible for abuses should have been convicted." Deputy Oliveira issued a note, Wednesday, February 8, claiming that the sentence he received is unconstitutional, since degrading labor is "not covered in the labor laws." For Brother Plassat, this argument "is a flimsy excuse, since the current version of Article 149 says that subjecting anyone to degrading labor conditions is considered slave labor. Degrading labor and slave labor are redundant." The friar was referring to Article 149 of the Penal Code, which characterizes as a crime against individual freedom: "reducing someone to a status similar to that of a slave, whether it be by subjecting him to forced labor or a relentless work schedule, subjecting him to degrading labor conditions, or in any way limiting his freedom of movement in consequence of debts incurred with an employer or employer's agent." The penalty, according to the Code, is from two to eight years in prison and a fine, in addition to the penalty for having committed acts of violence. The Land Pastoral Commission, which coordinates the Campaign to Combat Slave Labor, is associated with the Brazilian National Bishops Conference (CNBB). Agência Brasil
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed
A true shame.
No rule of law when one has money.
Corruption to the highest levels
Impunity is almost in the constitution, same for corruption, otherwise many should be in jail by now.
Even worse, what is not said in the article, that a landowner who used slavery, cannot even go in jail because there is no law on this subject. The only thinbg that happens is that the landowner get a fine, not even very often, then he he is on a black list, he will get more or less a few visits from officials looking if he doesnt have slaves again, he cannot sell his products to the government and he cannot borrow money at favored rates through the BNDES.
BUT THIS IS ONLY FOR 2 YEARS.
J U S T 2 Y E A R S !!!!!!!!
THEN HE CAN START ALL OVER AGAIN WITH SLAVES, GETTING LOANS FROM THE BNDES (CONTROLLED BY THE GOVERNMENT) and even sell his products to the government !
THAT IS AN INSULT TO DEMOCRACY, DEVELOPMENT AND TO HUMANITY.
BRAZIL IS A MEDIEVAL COUNTRY.
AND THEN LULA WANTS A PERMANENT SEAT AT THE U.N. !!!!!!
HE SHOULD CLEAN FIRST HIS OWN GREASY, STINKY AND DIRTY POLITICIANS, TO WHOM HE BELONGS
THE WORLD IS NOT UNITED WITH BRAZIL !!!!
BRAZIL DOESNT DESERVE A PERMANENT SEAT AT THE U.N BUT DESERVES RATHER TO BE EXPULSED FROM IT.
BRAZIL HAS ARCHAIC LAWS.
BRAZIL HAS NOT AND WILL NOT END SLAVERY.
BRAZIL HAS NO DOUBT FAR FAR MORE SLAVES THAT THE TRUNKED, FAKED AND MANIPULATED ESTIMATES. ON PURPOSE OBVIOUSLY.
BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENTS ARE NOT PEOPLE THE WORLD SHALL TRUST AND WE SHALL NOT EVEN DEAL WITH THEM. THEY BETRAY EVERYONE, STARTING WITH THEIR OWN CITIZENS.
THEY JUST PROMISE, PROMISE, PROMISE, PROMISE. BUT COMMITMENTS AND WILL, THERE ARE NONE.
BRAZIL THEN EVEN DO FORUMS TO EXPLAIN THE WORLD HOW TO REDUCE AND ELIMINATE....SLAVERY, POVERTY, HUNGER ETC ETC !!!!!!
NOOOOOOOOOO ! JUST A BUNCH OF CROOKS AND LIARS THESE BRAZILIAN POLITICIANS !
BRAZIL SOCIETY DESERVES A MUCH BETTER FUTURE.