The Legacy Continues: Chico Mendes‘ Daughter Carries the Fight for the Amazon
The fight to protect the Amazon rainforest continues decades after the assassination of Chico Mendes, a Brazilian rubber tapper adn labor leader who became a global symbol of environmental resistance. His daughter, Angela Mendes, is now at the forefront of that struggle, carrying on his legacy amidst escalating threats to the rainforest and its Indigenous communities.
Speaking at the U.N. climate summit in Belém, Brazil, last week, Angela Mendes described a deeply challenging situation. While acknowledging past victories – including reductions in deforestation – she highlighted a constant barrage of attempts to weaken environmental protections. “Every day, we have a new bill being voted in the Congress to trying to invade and make the environmental laws weaker,” she explained. She specifically referenced a “bill of devastation” that aimed to make it easier to exploit the forest,driven by the interests of agribusiness seeking to expand into Indigenous territories.
The consequences of this exploitation are devastating. Mendes spoke of Indigenous peoples being poisoned by mining residues contaminating rivers, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the ecosystem. “We know that if the rivers should be jammed, the whole people should be worried,” she stated, “defend the forest is something…is not something just for the people that lives in the forest. We should know that everything that happens in the forest are connected to everything else that happens in the world.”
The emotional toll of this ongoing struggle is immense. When asked by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! why she was moved to tears, Mendes [translated] revealed the pain of witnessing the continued violence against women leaders in the territories, a pain echoing the murder of her father 37 years ago in 1988. “The feeling is that we are never able to get out of this violence that really marks people’s lives and families, and we have so many things to deal with,” she said.
Despite the grim realities, Angela Mendes finds hope in a new generation of activists. She noted the growing consciousness among young people, including her own daughter, who is actively involved in continuing her father’s work. “What gives me hope is to know…we now have today a youth movement, a youth that is very conscious about their role,” she [translated] explained.Each year, they organize “Chico Mendes Week” to ensure his legacy endures.
Chico Mendes’ image has become iconic, with thousands of marchers at the Belém summit wearing his likeness on their shirts, a testament to his enduring influence. His daughter’s continued dedication ensures that his fight for the Amazon, and the people who call it home, will not be forgotten.
