Rubber soldiers
Rubber soldiers (Portuguese: Soldados da borracha) were people in Brazil which were compulsorily drafted to harvest rubber in the Amazon rainforest during World War II. The "rubber soldiers" program was a consequence of the Brazil-United States Political-Military Agreement during the war, after the United States was cut off by Japan from its major supply of rubber in Malaysia. About 55,000 persons were mostly transferred from drought-stricken northeast areas and contributed to the second rubber boom in Brazil. They were enlisted into the Serviço Especial de Mobilização de Trabalhadores para a Amazônia (SEMTA; "Special Service of Mobilization of Workers for the Amazon"), with support of several other governmental organizations. Each migrant signed a contract with SEMTA which offered a small salary for the worker during their transport to the Amazon region. Upon arrival, they received a payment of 60% of the total profit which had been obtained with the rubber. The basic kit they received included basic clothing, eating equipment, a net, and a carton of Colomy cigarettes. After being recruited, the volunteers were placed in specially-built housing, under strict military watch, and then sent into the Amazon, on trips which could last two to three months. For many workers, it