'Founded in 1985 by farmers … of the stockraising sector and those who were opposed to agrarian reform. In the beginning, the organization was more active in Goiás, the south of Pará, Pontal do Paranapanema (São Paulo) and the Triângulo Mineiro; later, it spread through several states. It acted in several ways: organizing farmers, forming armed militias, pressuring the government and congressmen. It had notable action against agrarian reform during the Constitutional Convention. Its decline began at the end of 1988, when Chico Mendes, union leader and fighter for agrarian reform, was murdered in Acre, his death being the work of UDR farmers. The same accusation has been made against them for the death of Father Josimo Tavares, in 1986, in Imperatriz, Maranhão. The UDR’s decline was complete in 1989, when its main leader, Ronaldo Caiado, became a candidate for the presidency and the party was isolated from the other conservative parties. It terminated its activities in 1990, recommenced in 1996, but only in the region of the Pontal do Paranapanema, with an insignificant number of reactionary farmers. Brazilian society and public opinion has rejected the UDR since its foundation due to its violent methods and backward political proposals' (Fernandes, Bernardo Mançano e Stedile, João Pedro. Brava gente: a trajetória do MST e a luta pela terra no Brasil. São Paulo: Editora Fundação Perseu Abramo, 1999, p. 93, n. 8).