Chico Mendes

Francisco Alves Mendes Filho (December 15, 1944-December 22, 1988), also known as Chico Mendes, was a Brazilian rubber tapper, unionist and environmental activist. He fought to stop the logging of the Amazon Rainforest for the purposes of cattle ranching, and founded a national union of rubber tappers in an attempt to preserve their profession and the rainforest that it relied upon. He was murdered in 1988 by ranchers opposed to his activism.

Founding of unions

Mendes then began to move into a more mainstream political arena. He stood successfully for the local council in Xapuri. He was a leading local member of the socialist Workers Party (PT). He advocated the idea of creating forest reserves that would be managed by traditional communities, and sustainably harvesting goods such as rubber and Brazil nuts. He saw benefit in uniting the rubber tappers in an attempt to hold their ground against the ranchers, and founded the Xapuri Rural Workers' Union, becoming its President. Over the next few years, Mendes and the union had some successes, but he decided that it would be more beneficial to unite all the Brazilian tappers in one union.

Related Topics:
Workers Party - Xapuri Rural Workers' Union

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When the first meeting of this new union, the National Council of Rubber Tappers, was held in 1985, in the capital, Brasilia, rubber tappers from all over the country came. Many had never been outside their local area before. He succeeded in educating many about the issues of deforestation, road paving, cattle ranching, and the threats to their own livelihoods. The meeting also had the effect of catching the attention of the international environmentalist movement, and highlighting their plight to a larger audience. He chose to align himself and the union with environmentalism, rather than Marxism. In October that year, English filmmaker Adrian Cowell made a documentary about Mendes.

Related Topics:
1985 - Brasilia - Marxism - Adrian Cowell

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~