In December 1988, the Brazilian environmental activist, Chico Mendes, was shot dead by cattle ranchers angered by his efforts to stop them exploiting land in the Amazon jungle. The 44-year-old Mendes, leader of the local rubber tappers union, had become a powerful symbol of the struggle to save the rainforest.
Why did Chico Mendes do what he did?
Chico Mendes was a labourer turned environmentalist who advocated for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest, as well as the rights of local and indigenous communities. Murdered for his efforts, he embodies the struggles of the many people who fight to protect their homelands from exploitation.
When was Chico Mendes born and died?
Chico Mendes, original name Francisco Alves Mendes, Jr., (born December 15, 1944, Xapuri, Acre, Brazil—died December 22, 1988, Xapuri), Brazilian labour leader and conservationist who defended the interests of the seringueiros, or rubber tree tappers, in the Amazonian state of Acre, calling for land reform and
Where is Chico Mendes from?
Chico Mendes was born on the 15th of December, 1944 in the seringal (rubber tapping fields) of Porto Rico, near Acre’s border with Bolivia, in the two of Xapuri, Acre state. Son of a rubbertapper himself, Chico’s childhood was spent next to his futher tapping the Seringal trees.
Who were Chico Mendes allies?
The forest peoples alliance
- In 1980, Chico Mendes, together with important indigenous leaders, rubber tapper and river-dwellers created the Forest Peoples Alliance in Brazil.
- In addition, the alliance aimed for an agrarian reform that could benefit all those peoples.
What religion was Chico Mendes?
Chico Mendes was a Christian eco-warrior and a steward of God’s creation. Chico Mendes was a rubber tapper who lived in Brazil in South America. He was concerned about the destruction of the environment.
Did Chico Mendes have a family?
Chico Mendes was born Francisco Alves Mendes on December 15, 1944, in the Brazilian village of Porto Rico. Mendes was the eldest of 17 siblings of whom only six survived into adulthood. The Mendes family lived in the state of Acre in Amazonia, the forest surrounding the Amazon River.
Where is the Amazon rainforest?
South America
The Amazon Rainforest Location
The Amazon covers a huge area (6.7 million sq km) of South America. Nearly 60% of the rainforest is in Brazil, while the rest is shared among eight other countries—Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela and French Guiana, an overseas territory of France.
Where did Chico Mendes live?
On the 22nd of December 1988, Chico Mendes was shot dead outside his home in Xapuri, in Acre State, north western Brazil– assassinated by Darci Alves da Silva, the son of a local rancher whose lands and plans for expansion were threatened by Chico’s efforts to protect the forest.
How is the environment in Brazil?
Dominated by equatorial and tropical climates, northern and central Brazil receives frequent rainfall and experiences higher temperatures. Meanwhile, southern Brazil is characterized by a humid subtropical climate. Notably, northeast Brazil exhibits a semi-arid climate, receiving less than 700 mm per year of rain.
Who is Chico Mendes and what did he do?
Brazilian rubber tapper and land rights leader Chico Mendes pioneered the world’s first tropical forest conservation initiative advanced by forest peoples themselves. His work led to the establishment of Brazil’s extractive reserves protected forest areas that are inhabited and managed by local communities.
Who was Chico Mendes and what happened to him?
In December 1988, the Brazilian environmental activist, Chico Mendes, was shot dead by cattle ranchers angered by his efforts to stop them exploiting land in the Amazon jungle. The 44-year-old Mendes, leader of the local rubber tappers union, had become a powerful symbol of the struggle to save the rainforest.
What was Chico Mendes childhood like?
Chico Mendes grew up in a poor family near the small Amazonian town of Xapuri in Acre in the 1940s. His parents, like many others, had moved to the forests of the western Amazon to harvest latex from native rubber trees for use in the allied war effort.
What is an extracted reserve?
Extractive reserves are territories dedicated to environmental protection and the sustainable use of nature resources by traditional populations.
What is a passive reserve?
The Recreation Passive Zone encompasses Council reserves classified as community open space, neighbourhood open space, local area, and other reserves for historic conservation, scenic and cultural purposes.
What does reserve mean in geology?
Reserves are deposits of natural resources like fuels, elements, and minerals that are known to exist with a reasonable level of certainty based on geological and engineering studies.