DiCaprio funds Brazilian ecological initiatives after Bolsonaro's accusations

• DiCaprio supports ecological initiatives in Brazil.
• Scannavino accused the organization of improving life in the region.
• The COP30 conference will take place in Belém next week.

SAU-PAULU — the controversial accusations in the Amazon rainforest, which occurred in the fall of 2019, turned out to be beneficial for Caetano Scannavino, founder of the nonprofit organization in the heart of the tropical forest. The then-president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, accused actor Leonardo DiCaprio of funding organizations that, according to his words, were partially responsible for the fires in the region. Although the accusations turned out to be dubious, they created threats for Scannavino's work, which promotes sustainable development and community rights on the Tapajós River, a popular area among tourists.

Four friends of Scannavino, who worked as forest firefighters, were arrested for two days and later acquitted. The police checked documents of his organization Saúde e Alegria for several weeks. Scannavino received anonymous threats, and his car was vandalized.

DiCaprio draws attention

One comment by Bolsonaro drew DiCaprio's attention to Scannavino's work, and the actor decided to fund his projects through Re:wild, a nonprofit organization he helps fund. "When accusations arose, DiCaprio expressed that it doesn't fund us, but emphasized that we deserve his support," Scannavino explained.

Scannavino founded Saúde e Alegria in 1987 to promote sustainable development in the state of Pará, home to the Belém conference of the UN Climate Change Conference, or COP30, next week. Scannavino arrived in Belém from Santarém by boat, which took two days with journalists and climate experts.

Center for Local Products

The project began as a health protection initiative, but over time expanded to work with rural communities to improve their quality of life. One of the projects, supported by DiCaprio's institute, is the Ecological Center for Forest Economics in Santarém, which serves as a center for processing and storing local production. Organizers noted that this object enhances the economic sustainability of sustainable practices in the region.

This center was opened last year, and it is also supported by the governments of Brazil, Germany, and Norway, which are participants in the Amazon Fund, a Brazilian initiative that funds efforts to combat deforestation.

"Seize the moment"

In a post on Instagram this week, DiCaprio noted that world leaders gathering in Brazil must ensure the availability of resources for those who protect nature. He called on leaders to unite to solve this problem, stressing that our future depends on it.

Scannavino, who left the São Paulo metropolis over 37 years ago, emphasized that DiCaprio's support and other philanthropists of his nonprofit organization also emerged, since he indicated to Bolsonaro that he works to support local police and armed forces.

Amid the awards and recognition, Scannavino expects a meeting with representatives of Re:wild and possibly with DiCaprio at COP30. He also mentioned that he is likely to meet DiCaprio 20 years ago in a photoshoot in New York, but did not recognize him then.

Tags: Ecology