Brazilian environmentalist gets funded by DiCaprio after false forest fire accusation by Bolsonaro

SAO PAULO (AP) – Being falsely accused of setting fire in the Amazon with funds from an Oscar-winning actor eventually became a blessing in disguise for Caetano Scannavino, the founder of a nonprofit organization in the heart of the rainforest.

Brazil’s then President Jair Bolsonaro falsely claimed in November 2019 that actor Leonardo DiCaprio had funded nonprofit groups that he alleged were partly responsible for setting the fires. The accusation, though false, created risks for Scannavino and his work promoting sustainable development and citizens’ rights in a region along the Tapajos River popular with tourists for its blend of rainforest and beaches.

Four of Scannavino’s friends who volunteered as forest firefighters were jailed for two days and then prosecuted as alleged perpetrators of fires in the region, only to be cleared later. Police scrolled through documents of Scannavino’s Saúde e Alegria nonprofit for weeks. Scannavino received anonymous threats, and his car was set on fire.

But Bolsonaro’s comments helped DiCaprio take notice of Scannavino’s work and decide to sponsor his work through Re:wild, a nonprofit conservation group that the actor helped found. Their partnership has already lasted five years, the Brazilian activist said.

“When the accusations emerged, DiCaprio came out to say he was not funding us, but added we deserved his support after he saw our work,” Scannavino told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “I’ve never been with him or spoken to him. But he gives us support, uses his social media to show what this partnership does.”

The 59-year-old Scannavino founded Saude e Alegria, or Health and Happiness, in 1987 to promote integrated and sustainable community development in Para state, whose capital Belem will host the United Nations’ Conference of the Parties, or COP30, next week. Scannavino arrived in Belem on Tuesday from Santarem, the city where the initiative is based, after a two-day boat ride that featured broadcasts with journalists, activists and climate experts.

The project started as a health care initiative, but it has since grown to work with rural communities to improve their quality of life and exercise of citizenship.

One project sponsored by DiCaprio’s institute is the Forest Economy EcoCenter in Santarem, which serves as a hub for processing, storage and commercialization of products made by locals. Organizers said the facility enhances the economic viability of sustainable practices in the region.

The hub was opened a year ago, and is also supported by the governments of Brazil, Germany and Norway, all contributors of the Amazon Fund, a Brazilian initiative that pays for anti-deforestation and sustainable development efforts.

Scannavino said that the initiative cost about 5 million Brazilian reais ($938,000), mostly paid for by the Amazon Fund.

“Those first few days after Bolsonaro’s accusation were terrible. People insulted us and our families on the streets, the firefighters had to leave. But then a surprising thing happened,” Scannavino said.

“Usually people get away from you if such a big target appears on your back. It was the opposite with us. Eventually the accusations went away, the firefighters were released, and people were curious about us – including DiCaprio,” he added.

In an Instagram post this week, DiCaprio said the world leaders gathering in Brazil must ensure that those defending nature have the resources they need. He said Re:wild is pledging more money to protecting forests.

“I urge leaders to unite and meet the moment,” he said. “Our future depends on it.”

The AP emailed Re:wild seeking further comment on its work with Scannavino and at COP30.

Scannavino, who left the Brazilian metropolis Sao Paulo for the Amazon more than 37 years ago, said that DiCaprio and other backers of his nonprofit also came in support because he chose to show Bolsonaro he was working with the support of local police and armed forces instead of trying to score political points.

The former president was recently sentenced to 27 years in prison for a coup attempt in 2023 after losing his reelection bid.

“Our critics are specialists in hatred, and since that incident we chose to be polite, provide evidence we worked with all stakeholders, everyone who mattered in the region. We refused to leave our local communities without due health care assistance just because of an absurd accusation,” Scannavino said.

Many awards and acknowledgments later, Scannavino is expected to meet with Re:wild officials and perhaps DiCaprio himself at COP30.

Scannavino said that he nearly met DiCaprio about 20 years ago while setting up for a photo exhibition in New York. He said that the team preparing the photo exhibition didn’t recognize the actor under a cap and complained that he was getting in the way, so he left.

“Shortly later our producer raced to tell me that was Leonardo DiCaprio,” Scannavino said. “I told her to run after him and get him back. She caught him on his bike a few blocks away. He thanked her, but had to leave.

“I hope that the next encounter is a very different one, so we can thank him duly,” he added.