Las Malvinas fire: a case of modern-day slavery
01 July 2017
The devastating fire at Las Malvinas in Lima on 22 June showcased the terrible labour practises that led to the death of three young men who were locked in a container to work and unable to escape; they burned to death. It brought to light the general lack of attention paid to working conditions by both national and municipal authorities. Peru is thought to have among the highest rates of people working in conditions of near slavery of any Latin American country.
The young men had been working in a container under fluorescent lights removing the brand names of clothing so that new names could be attached. They had been locked in so they could not escape or steal, thus making it impossible to flee the voracious fire. It takes a disaster of this sort to reveal the absence of proper labour regulation; questions still abound on how this was possible and permissible.