Imagine this: Leonardo DiCaprio, the eco-warrior of Hollywood, accused of bankrolling fire-raisers in the Amazon. Yes, Leonardo is the guy who gave us The Revenant and pretty much every other environmental PSA you can think of. In a head-scratching twist, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro went live on Facebook in late 2019. He aimed Leo and his deep pockets, bizarrely claiming, “DiCaprio, you’re collaborating with the burning of the Amazon.” I’m just casually tossing out that accusation with zero proof. But why? And what was even happening here?
Let’s rewind. In 2019, the Amazon rainforest was burning unprecedentedly, with smoke thick enough to catch global attention. Since he took office, Bolsonaro, a staunch promoter of “economic development” in the Amazon, had already been facing criticism for surging deforestation numbers. The situation was heating up, and Bolsonaro seemed eager to redirect the public’s ire. Enter DiCaprio, the perfect (and conveniently famous) environmentalist to blame.
Bolsonaro’s accusations weren’t plucked out of thin air, though they came close. A few days earlier, Brazilian police had arrested four members of the Alter do Chão Fire Brigade—a nonprofit known for, you know, putting out fires in the Amazon. The twist? Police claimed the group had been starting fires to attract donations. In Bolsonaro’s version, they were basically “fire-raising to fund-raise,” with Leo allegedly footing the bill. Never mind that civil groups called the arrests politically motivated or that a judge released the firefighters just days later. For Bolsonaro, DiCaprio became the unexpected villain in this Amazonian drama.
DiCaprio, naturally, was caught off guard. His foundation, Earth Alliance, had pledged $5 million to save the rainforest, supporting respected groups like Instituto Raoni and Instituto Kabu. None of those groups had a shred of connection to the accused firefighters. DiCaprio put out a statement, politely saying Bolsonaro’s allegations weren’t true—a diplomatic way of saying, “What in the world are you talking about?”
And while DiCaprio’s Earth Alliance has been rallying support to save the rainforest, Bolsonaro’s administration has been bulldozing protections for the Amazon, with land clearing at an 11-year high. Brazil’s national space agency (yes, they track this) reported that deforestation jumped 78 percent in 2019 alone. Bolsonaro’s response? Blame the environmentalists for stalling Brazil’s progress.
As for the supposed “DiCaprio fire funds,” even Bolsonaro’s supporters raised a brow without any evidence; the president continued to double down, saying, “DiCaprio is a cool guy… Giving money to torch the Amazon.” And suddenly, we were living in a plot twist where the eco-conscious movie star was cast as Amazon’s villain.
Of course, in true Hollywood fashion, the real story wasn’t that pretty cinematic. Deforestation is tied to ranchers and farmers, who use fires to clear land—a practice that Bolsonaro’s relaxed policies emboldened. But with DiCaprio in the headlines, the real culprits were conveniently out of frame.
So here we are, DiCaprio accidentally dragged into a political firestorm he didn’t start. And while we probably won’t get Leo vs. the Amazon at a theater near you, you must admit, the drama of it all? Unforgettable.
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