duda mendes is chico's cousin. he often visited him here in this house. hico mendes was the first activist to draw the world's attention to the ongoing destruction of the amazon. he was a leader in the battle against deforestation, but always by peaceful means. he was even honored for his work by the united nations and singer paul mccartney dedicated a song to him, after his death. chico was shot and killed by a local rancher and his son on december 22, 1988 in what many described as an assassination. his cousin says his spirit is still alive. >> chico died, but his ideas live on, and we are still waging his battle. now it's our job to continue his work, and defend our rainforest. >> meanwhile some parts of the amazon have been declared protected zones. in these areas, only sustainable cultivation is permitted. today duda mendes is bringing his freshly-tapped latex to a government collection facility. rubber tapping in the area has turned into a valuable source of income. some 700 families earn a living by it. the government pays a guaranteed price for the