Ecuador's Apology: Addressing Plantation Slavery

The Ecuadorian government has publicly apologized to over 300 plantation workers, subjected to slave-like conditions on a Japanese-owned abaca farm. This apology follows a Constitutional Court ruling recognizing modern slavery. Labor Minister Ivone Nuñez promises to enhance workers' rights, as Furukawa's past conditions face scrutiny.

Ecuador's government issued a formal apology on Saturday to plantation workers who endured conditions akin to slavery. This public acknowledgment stems from a Constitutional Court ruling made last year.

During the event near Quito's presidential palace, various Cabinet members admitted that over 300 workers at a Japanese-owned abaca plantation experienced 'modern slavery'. Labor Minister Ivone Nuñez committed to ensuring that Ecuador becomes a state that upholds workers' human rights. This apology is part of the reparations ordered by the court.

The court's previous ruling highlighted the Japanese company Furukawa's practices from 1963 to 2019, where workers lived in substandard dormitories without basic services, facing frequent accidents due to inadequate safety training. Former workers, now legal representatives, claim Furukawa had not paid due reparations.

(With inputs from agencies.)