<p>A maid enslaved for decades was among dozens of slavery victims rescued in coordinated raids across Brazil, government officials said on Thursday, hailing the operation as a "milestone" in anti-trafficking efforts.</p>.<p>Most of the 118 workers freed in "Operation Rescue" were found in rural areas - many picking oranges in the central state of Goias, but several others were toiling in sweatshops in Sao Paulo and two worked as maids in Rio de Janeiro.</p>.<p>"This operation is a milestone," said Romulo Machado e Silva, undersecretary of Brazil's Labor Inspector's Office, describing the simultaneous swoops as the country's biggest such joint anti-slavery operation.</p>.<p>More than 500 government officials took part in 64 raids as part of the crackdown, Silva told a news conference on Thursday, which marked Brazil's national day of the fight against slave labor.</p>.<p>"The profile of those rescued is the most varied," said Silva, mentioning that elderly, indigenous people, teenagers and people with special needs were among those rescued.</p>.<p>Authorities said the maid found in Rio had been enslaved for about 40 years, but gave no further details.</p>.<p>Last month, officials rescued a 46-year-old maid who had been enslaved since the age of eight and forced into marriage.</p>.<p>About 942 people were found in slavery-like conditions in Brazil last year, a decline of only about 10% from 2019 despite a two-month freeze on labor inspections due to the coronavirus outbreak.</p>.<p>Since Brazil first started its anti-slavery taskforce in 1995, more than 55,000 people have been found in slavery-like conditions in the country.</p>.<p>In Brazil, slavery is defined as forced labor - but this also covers debt bondage, degrading work conditions, long hours that pose a health risk, and work that violates human dignity.</p>.<p>In the past it was not uncommon for a single raid to result in the rescue of more than a hundred workers, but enslaved laborers are often more spread out today, making detection more difficult.</p>.<p>"This doesn't mean there has been a reduction (in slave labor)" said Alberto Bastos Balazeiro, head of Brazil's Labor Prosecutor's Office. "There's still much work to be done."</p>
<p>A maid enslaved for decades was among dozens of slavery victims rescued in coordinated raids across Brazil, government officials said on Thursday, hailing the operation as a "milestone" in anti-trafficking efforts.</p>.<p>Most of the 118 workers freed in "Operation Rescue" were found in rural areas - many picking oranges in the central state of Goias, but several others were toiling in sweatshops in Sao Paulo and two worked as maids in Rio de Janeiro.</p>.<p>"This operation is a milestone," said Romulo Machado e Silva, undersecretary of Brazil's Labor Inspector's Office, describing the simultaneous swoops as the country's biggest such joint anti-slavery operation.</p>.<p>More than 500 government officials took part in 64 raids as part of the crackdown, Silva told a news conference on Thursday, which marked Brazil's national day of the fight against slave labor.</p>.<p>"The profile of those rescued is the most varied," said Silva, mentioning that elderly, indigenous people, teenagers and people with special needs were among those rescued.</p>.<p>Authorities said the maid found in Rio had been enslaved for about 40 years, but gave no further details.</p>.<p>Last month, officials rescued a 46-year-old maid who had been enslaved since the age of eight and forced into marriage.</p>.<p>About 942 people were found in slavery-like conditions in Brazil last year, a decline of only about 10% from 2019 despite a two-month freeze on labor inspections due to the coronavirus outbreak.</p>.<p>Since Brazil first started its anti-slavery taskforce in 1995, more than 55,000 people have been found in slavery-like conditions in the country.</p>.<p>In Brazil, slavery is defined as forced labor - but this also covers debt bondage, degrading work conditions, long hours that pose a health risk, and work that violates human dignity.</p>.<p>In the past it was not uncommon for a single raid to result in the rescue of more than a hundred workers, but enslaved laborers are often more spread out today, making detection more difficult.</p>.<p>"This doesn't mean there has been a reduction (in slave labor)" said Alberto Bastos Balazeiro, head of Brazil's Labor Prosecutor's Office. "There's still much work to be done."</p>