In November 2019, the Amazon rainforest was ablaze—both literally and figuratively. As fires swept through the world’s largest tropical forest, international outrage mounted over Brazil’s environmental direction. In the midst of this turmoil, Brazilian environmentalist Caetano Scannavino, a man with decades of grassroots experience, suddenly found himself at the heart of an extraordinary and unexpected political storm.
According to the Associated Press, then-President Jair Bolsonaro, facing mounting criticism for his government’s handling of the Amazon fires, made a sensational claim: that environmental groups were deliberately setting the blazes to undermine his administration. Even more astonishing, Bolsonaro alleged that Hollywood superstar and environmental advocate Leonardo DiCaprio had funded these supposed arsonists. The accusation, entirely unsupported by evidence, was aimed squarely at Scannavino’s nonprofit, Saúde e Alegria (Health and Happiness), which for years had provided healthcare and sustainable livelihood support to Amazonian communities.
The fallout was swift and severe. As reported by both AP and International Business Times, four volunteer firefighters linked to Saúde e Alegria were jailed for two days and prosecuted before ultimately being cleared of any wrongdoing. Police raided the group’s offices in Santarém, Pará state, scouring documents for weeks. Scannavino himself received anonymous threats, and his car was set ablaze. “Those first few days after Bolsonaro’s accusation were terrible. People insulted us and our families on the streets, the firefighters had to leave,” Scannavino recalled in an interview with the Associated Press. The mood was tense, and for a moment, it seemed the reputation and very future of the organization hung in the balance.
But then, something remarkable happened. The same accusation that threatened to destroy Scannavino’s life’s work ended up transforming it. As the initial hostility and suspicion faded, curiosity and support grew—both locally and internationally. “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,” Scannavino explained to the Associated Press.
Leonardo DiCaprio, the very figure Bolsonaro had implicated, publicly denied ever funding fires in the Amazon. But after learning more about Scannavino’s work, DiCaprio decided not only to clear his own name but to actively support Saúde e Alegria. Through Re:wild, a conservation group he co-founded, DiCaprio began sponsoring Scannavino’s initiatives. “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 said. “I’ve never met him, but he gives us support and uses his social media to show what this partnership does.”
Over the past five years, this partnership has become a lifeline for the organization, enabling it to expand its work in sustainable development and community empowerment. One flagship project is the Forest Economy EcoCenter in Santarém—a hub opened about a year ago for processing, storing, and selling forest products like oils, nuts, and fruit. According to both AP and IBTimes, the EcoCenter cost approximately 5 million Brazilian reais (about $938,000 or £950,000), funded mostly by Brazil’s Amazon Fund with support from Germany and Norway. DiCaprio’s Re:wild provided key sponsorship, helping to prove that conservation and economic growth can go hand-in-hand—a crucial message for the region.
Scannavino’s journey to this moment began long before the fires of 2019. He left the bustling metropolis of São Paulo for the Amazon more than 37 years ago, determined to promote integrated and sustainable community development in Pará state. Saúde e Alegria started as a healthcare initiative in 1988 but quickly grew to address broader issues of citizenship and environmental stewardship. The organization’s work has since won numerous awards and acknowledgments, and its model is now being watched closely as Pará’s capital, Belém, prepares to host the United Nations COP30 climate conference.
In early November 2025, Scannavino traveled from Santarém to Belém—a journey by boat that included broadcasts with journalists, activists, and climate experts. The upcoming COP30 conference, set to begin next week, is expected to spotlight the Amazon and the urgent need for global cooperation to protect it. DiCaprio, for his part, took to Instagram to urge world leaders to “unite and meet the moment,” pledging more funding through Re:wild and calling for resources to be directed to those defending nature. “Our future depends on it,” he wrote.
The story of Scannavino’s ordeal is also a story of resilience and strategic response. Rather than retreat or lash out in the face of political attacks, he chose to work transparently with local police and armed forces, demonstrating that his organization was committed to the well-being of the region’s people above all else. “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 told AP.
Meanwhile, the political landscape in Brazil has shifted dramatically. Former President Bolsonaro, who launched the original accusations, was sentenced in 2025 to 27 years in prison for a coup attempt following his failed reelection bid in 2023. For Scannavino, the saga serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of political scapegoating but also as a testament to the power of international solidarity and the unexpected ways in which adversity can lead to new opportunities.
There’s a touch of irony in the fact that Scannavino and DiCaprio, whose paths nearly crossed in New York two decades ago, may finally meet at COP30. Scannavino recounted how, during preparations for a photo exhibition, his team failed to recognize DiCaprio under a cap and inadvertently sent him away. “Shortly later our producer raced to tell me that was Leonardo DiCaprio,” he 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.”
What began as a damaging and false accusation has, against all odds, become a symbol of resilience, renewal, and the enduring fight to protect the Amazon. As world leaders descend on Belém for COP30, the story of Caetano Scannavino and Saúde e Alegria stands as a reminder: sometimes, even the darkest moments can spark the brightest change.
