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Mendes' actions helped the government of Brazil pass the National Plan of Agrarian Reform in 1985. This promoted the idea of "extractive reserves," where people like rubber tappers who traditionally "extracted" resources from forest areas were given legal protection to manage these resources.
On Dec. 22, 1988 Chico Mendes was murdered by Darly Alves da Silva and his son, Darci Alves Pereira, over a land ownership dispute. Pereira and da Silva were sentenced to 19 years in prison. In February 1993, after serving three years, Pereira and da Silva escaped from prison in Rio Branco, with the alleged help of local citizen groups and the police. Da Silva was recaptured three years later, but Pereira is still at large.
In April 1989, the Brazilian government ceased providing subsidies, tax-relief, and incentives for cattle ranching, which also has helped the cause of the rubber tappers. Since January 1990 four extractive reserves as big as Massachusetts have been established, and ten more are being planned. These reserves guarantee legal access to the land for the extraction of brazil nuts, rubber, and other forest products.
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