Chico Mende was, a prominent Brazilian union leader and environmental activist. He was assassinated at the age of 44. Mendes was shot in the backyard of his home in Xapuri, Acre, Brazil, by Darci Alves da Silva, the son of a local rancher. Mendes dedicated his life to defending the Amazon rainforest and advocating for the rights of rubber tappers against rancher encroachment.
