15 Construction Workers Rescued From Squalid Housing in Ceará, Brazil

Fifteen construction workers from Maranhão, Brazil, were rescued on Tuesday, May 21st, from severely inadequate housing in Maranguape, located in the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza, Ceará. The rescue was initiated after one of the victims contacted the Union of Construction Workers of the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza (STICCRMF). According to Nestor Bezerra, the union's president, the workers were recruited with promises of salary and housing in Ceará, but upon arrival, they found themselves in deplorable conditions. They had not received wages for approximately 20 days, lacked running water, and subsisted on dirty water from a deposit. The housing was described as having no furniture, no stove, and only their hammocks and bags on the floor. Nine of the fifteen workers were particularly distressed due to threats from the site supervisor, who allegedly warned of violent retribution. The men, averaging 30 years old, were working on a Maranguape development project managed by a contractor hired by the company. This contractor is reportedly responsible for the workers' vulnerable situation. Following their rescue, the workers were taken to a local police station to file a report. The union president stated that the workers are now in a safe location and awaiting transport back to Maranhão. The workers reported that meals were provided by the contractor only if they worked, leading to days without food. One worker lost significant weight, dropping from 110 kg to 87 kg, due to the lack of adequate sustenance.