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Mexican authorities Wednesday rescued 54 minors earning US$6 a day for nine-hour shifts, six-and-a-half days a week, in slavery-type conditions. The children received two meals a day, consisting of coffee and bread in the morning and a second meal after work.
The attorney general in the northern state of Coahuila said over 200 children between the ages of eight and 13 were working at the ranch police raided, but most of them escaped police detention.
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Coahuila state government spokesperson Victor Zamora reminded reporters that child labor is prohibited in Mexico
The attorney general's office reported three people were arrested in connection with the exploitation of minors at the ranch.
In April, the Mexican National Council for Discrimination Prevention said over 124,000 children in Mexico are forced to work in order to afford food and clothing, contribute to the household income or attend school.
The study explained two in 10 Mexican youths involved in domestic work are between the ages of five and 13. They often work in risky conditions as there are no regulations on the employment of children in the country. Children get caught in situations of violence, exploitation or mistreatment, said the researchers.
Also in April, the Mexican Senate ratified the International Labor Organization's “convention 138,” which sets a minimum age to be allowed to enter the formal workforce, making it illegal for children to work.
However, experts say this is a dangerous move in Mexico, as children living in poverty will continue to look for work and be employed illegally, without access to labor rights, continuing a cycle of exploitation.
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