Francisco Alves Mendes Filho

Revolutionary Brazilian environmental activist who pioneered modern rainforest protection

Chico Mendes (1944-1988) changed environmental activism through his innovative "empate" protests - human barriers against deforestation. As president of Xapuri Rural Workers' Union, he organized rubber tappers to:

Preserve 2 million acres of Amazon rainforest
Establish Brazil's first extractive reserves
Pioneer sustainable development concepts

His 1988 murder by ranchers sparked global environmental movements. The Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve now protects 931,537 hectares. Unlike typical conservationists, Mendes integrated workers' rights with ecology, creating the "social environmentalism" model adopted worldwide.

Literary Appearances

《The Defense of Life》
《Fight for the Forest》

Cinematic Appearances

《The Burning Season》

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