Chico Mendes

Chico Mendes was a Brazilian rubber tapper, trade union leader and environmentalist who defended the interests of the seringueiros, or rubber tree tappers, in the Amazonian state of Acre, calling for land reform and preservation of the Amazon Rainforest. His activism won him recognition throughout Brazil and internationally, as well as several awards and honors, such as the United Nations Environmental Program Global 500 Roll of Honour and the National Wildlife Federation's National Conservation Achievement Award. He also became a symbol of the global environmental movement and the struggle for social justice. Mendes was born in 1944, in a rubber reserve called Seringal Bom Futuro, outside of Xapuri, a small town in the state of Acre. He was the son of a second-generation rubber tapper, Francisco Mendes, and his wife, Iracê. Chico was one of 17 siblings—only six of whom survived childhood. At age 9, Chico began work as a rubber tapper alongside his father. At the time, the rubber industry across the nation was in decline, and land was frequently sold and burned for cattle pastures. Rubber tappers additionally faced a severe lack of education. Schools were frequently forbidden on and near plantations, as the owners did not want the workers to be able to read and do arithmetic. For this reason, Mendes did not learn to read until he was 18 years old, when he sought out help interpreting his bills. Mendes was taught to read and write by a man named Euclides Fernando Távora, an activist turned rubber tapper. Most of his practice came from newspaper clippings on social and political issues within Brazil. These articles opened Chico's eyes to the widespread injustices in society, adding to his dissatisfaction with the treatment of seringueiros. After learning what he could from Távora, Mendes became a literacy teacher in hopes of educating his community. As his fellow workers became more aware of unjust treatment, they formed the Rural Workers’ Union, and the more localized Xapuri Rubber Tappers Union. Both of these organizations worked through peaceful protest to stop the logging and burning of the rainforest that acted as their livelihood. By the mid-1980s, Chico was known as both a radical unionist and an activist, though he also ran for several local political positions such as state deputy and city councilor. He also became involved in the creation of extractive reserves, a new type of protected area that allowed the sustainable use of natural resources by local communities, such as rubber tapping, Brazil nut harvesting, and fishing. Mendes saw the extractive reserves as a way to protect both the forest and the livelihoods of the people who depended on it. He also advocated for the recognition of the rights of the Indigenous peoples who lived in the forest, and supported their struggles against land invasions and violence. Mendes' activism made him a target of powerful landowners and ranchers, who saw him as a threat to their interests and profits. He received several death threats and survived several assassination attempts. On 22 December 1988, he was shot and killed by Darci Alves da Silva, a rancher's son, at his home in Xapuri. His murder sparked national and international outrage, and led to the creation of the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve, the first of its kind in Brazil. His legacy also inspired the creation of the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, a body under the jurisdiction of the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, and the Chico Mendes Prize for Social and Environmental Management, awarded by the Brazilian government. Mendes is regarded as a hero and a martyr by many environmentalists, human rights activists, and social movements around the world.