▁was ▁born ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁in ▁a ▁rub ber ▁reserve ▁called ▁Ser ing al ▁Bom ▁Fut uro , ▁outside ▁of ▁X ap uri , ▁a ▁small ▁town ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁A cre . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁second - gener ation ▁rub ber ▁t apper , ▁Francisco ▁M endes , ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁I rac ê . ▁Ch ico ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁ 1 7 ▁sib lings — only ▁six ▁of ▁whom ▁surv ived ▁child hood . ▁ ▁At ▁age ▁ 9 , ▁Ch ico ▁began ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁rub ber ▁t apper ▁alongside ▁his ▁father . ▁The ▁primary ▁use ▁for ▁rub ber ▁then ▁was ▁for ▁the ▁rapid ▁need ▁for ▁cond oms . ▁The ▁ 8 0 s ▁was ▁an ▁era ▁of ▁un protected ▁inter course , ▁and ▁the ▁demand ▁for ▁the ▁rub ber ▁su its ▁were ▁at ▁alarm ing ▁rate . ▁The ▁government ▁and ▁cattle ▁ran ch ers ▁exp elled ▁many ▁ser ing ue iros ▁from ▁their ▁land , ▁including ▁areas ▁near ▁X ap uri ▁due ▁to ▁t ensions ▁surrounding ▁the ▁new ▁in vention ▁of ▁late x . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁rub ber ▁industry ▁across ▁the ▁nation ▁was ▁in ▁decl ine , ▁and ▁land ▁was ▁frequently ▁sold ▁and ▁burn ed ▁for ▁cattle ▁past ures . ▁▁ ▁Rub ber ▁t app ers ▁addition ally ▁faced ▁a ▁severe ▁lack ▁of ▁education . ▁School s ▁were ▁frequently ▁forb idden ▁on ▁and ▁near ▁plant ations , ▁as ▁the ▁own ers ▁did