Explaining Brazil #89: Some humans still own other humans

Photo: Cícero R.C. Omena/FlickrCC

Signed in May 1888, imperial law number 3,353 is one of the shortest ever passed in Brazil: coming in at only 18 words. But it is one of the most important pieces of legislation ever signed in Brazil, most commonly known as the “Golden Law.” It abolished slavery in the country, after 350 years of it being at the center of Brazil’s economic model. But while outlawed, slavery never truly went away from Brazil.

We at The Brazilian Report were part of a documentary produced by Brazil’s Labor Prosecution Office and the International Labor Organization, called Precisão. That’s what our episode is about this week.

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In this episode:

Camilla Costa is a BBC reporter now based in London, who has extensive experience covering human rights in Brazil.
Augusto de Arruda Botelho is a criminal lawyer and a councilor at Human Rights Watch.

Background reading:

Watch “Precisão,” a documentary by Brazil’s Labor Prosecution Office and the International Labor Organization (scripted by editor-in-chief Gustavo Ribeiro).
In our Guide to Brazil, we explain how slavery was key to Brazil’s economic system until the late 1880s—and its consequences until today.
When it comes to fast fashion, the “I had no idea” card is often the preferred excuse for looking the other way. Thanks to an app, that’s no longer possible in Brazil.
An unsung hero from Brazil’s slave trade past, Luiz Gama helped free hundreds of slaves after teaching himself to read, write, and practice law
Inequality is slavery’s siamese twin. Reporter Martha Castro tells the history of income inequality in Brazil.

Explaining Brazil is made by:

Gustavo Ribeiro, editor in chief of The Brazilian Report. He has extensive experience covering Brazilian politics. His work has been featured across Brazilian and French media outlets, including Veja, Época, Folha de S.Paulo, Médiapart, and Radio France Internationale.
Euan Marshall, editing. is a journalist and translator who has lived in São Paulo, Brazil since 2011. Specializing in Brazilian soccer, politics and the connection between the two, his work has been published in The Telegraph, Al Jazeera, The Independent, among others.

Do you have a suggestion for our next Explaining Brazil podcast? Drop us a line at podcast@brazilian.report

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