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

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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.

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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.

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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 Saude e Alegria nonprofit for weeks. Scannavino received anonymous threats, and his car was set on fire.

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DiCaprio takes notice

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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.

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“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.”

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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.

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Local products hub

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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“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.

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“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.