Chico Mendes case is re-opened
Copyright 2002 A Gazeta
December 26, 2001
Brasília - 13 years ago a bullet from a rifle fired by Darci Alves Pereira killed the rubber tapper leader Chico Mendes. The murderer and his father, the farmer Darly Alves da Silva, were sentenced to 19 years in prison for the crime, but authorities have decided to re-open the case. A testimony given by an informer linked to the ex-deputy Hildebrando Pascoal last month indicated that others were involved in the death of the rubber tapper. The new investigation will begin in the new year.
Chico Mendes was killed on 22 December 1988 in an ambush. His killer Darci Pereira had been challenged to kill Mendes by his father days before. At the time Mendes was president of the Rural Workers' Union in Xapuri. He worked to prevent Darly and other farmers in the region from cutting down rubber trees and Brazil nut tree, the principal sources of income for extractivists in Acre.
The informant stated that Mendes' murder was planned by Hildebrando Pascoal, who was impeached last year after being accused of involvement with drugs traffic and running a death squad. Mendes' death was planned during a card game in Rio Branco, which police authorities already knew. The new information offered by the informant is that two policemen were sent to Xapuri to kill Mendes.
The two policemen were killed months after the death of Chico Mendes. Pascoal is currently in a maximum security federal prison, along with 30 policemen accused of participating in his death squad.
The new investigation will extend to ex-politicians and large-scale landowners in Acre, although there is no suggestion that Darly and Darci are innocent. Darci confessed to murdering Mendes during a jury trial in December 1990. His father was accused of ordering the murder and was also condemned to 19 years in prison. He was released on parole due to his age and currently lives in Brasilia. His son will be eligible for parole in 2002.