This Day in History: 1988-12-22

Chico Mendes killed The leader of Brazil’s rubber tappers (Taperos) movement to save the Amazon rain forest is killed by Brazilian ranchers on this day in 1988. Like Vincente Cañas (murdered in 1987) and Wilson Pinheiro (murdered in 1980), Mendes stood in the way of Amazon developers. US Catholic nun Dorothy Stang was assassinated under the same circumstances in 2005. An extensive list of environmental assassinations is provided at this site.