"Top mobile company Telefonica Brasil found guilty of slave labor", 31 July 2019

...Telefonica Brasil and three firms in its supply chain have been found guilty of engaging in slave labor...

...A panel of labor judges...ruled that Telefonica, publicly traded as Vivo in Brazil, was culpable after workers toiled in slavery-like conditions during the building of a cellphone tower in 2014...

...The company and its contractors will be fined R$200,000 ($53,167), but also risk being added to a “dirty list” of companies found guilty of slave labor by labor courts...

...“Telefonica informs that it does not condone any illegal work practices,” Vivo said in a statement, adding that it would appeal the decision.

Prosecutors said Vivo hired BR Towers, now part of American Tower, to rent a site in Espirito Santo for a cellphone tower, which then contracted Bimetal Industria Metalurgica to plan it. Bimetal subcontracted Norte Amazonia Construçoes to build it. 

...The case pre-dates American Tower’s acquisition of BR Towers, a spokesman for the company said, adding the company’s policy was to not comment on ongoing litigation. Thomson Reuters Foundation was unable to reach representatives from Bimetal and Norte Amazonia...