The face of modern slavery in Brazil

Brazil was the last country in the West to abolish slavery, waiting until 1888 to do so. The process of eradicating forced labor was so haphazard and superficial that a social cleavage was created in Brazilian society. The freed slaves were left to fend for themselves, without reparation, education, or even shelter, leading to a destitute, black underclass which today—over 130 years after abolition—has yet to fully integrate with the rest of society.

Even slave labor has not been properly eradicated in Brazil, and there are still thousands of workers in conditions of modern slavery all over the...