They’re committed. They’re armed. And they’re successful. Very successful. Like 46,000 slaves freed since 1995 successful.
They’re the labor department’s mobile inspection units in Brazil. They swoop down on farms, ranches, mines, quarries, logging camps and factories to free slaves and prosecute slaveholders.
Many of the tips that set the squads in motion come from FTS front line partner CPT (Pastoral Land Commission).
This week the squads will be featured in a special half-hour BBC World Service radio documentary. The program is called “Assignment.” It premieres at 00:32 GMT on December 26 (that’s 7:32 p.m. Christmas day in Washington or New York.) It will repeat several times on global radio in the following 24 hours. Or you can listen online here after the broadcast.
The BBC team accompanied a squad on a raid, interviewing the officers, people freed from slavery, and CPT’s anti-slavery leader and former FTS board member Xavier Plassat.
Cheers to the BBC for not only shining a light on global slavery, but for showcasing one of the world’s most inspiring anti-slavery stories during this holiday season.
BBC team interviews Xavier Plassat | CPT photo