Jair Bolsonaro, the president of Brazil, blames actor Leonardo DiCaprio for making donations to NGOs that he claims are behind the fires in the Amazon.
Bolsonaro told his supporters that DiCaprio is the cool guy who’s giving money to set the Amazon on fire. He claims the actor is assisting with the burning of the Amazon.
The environmental organization of the popular Hollywood actor and environmentalist pledged $5 million for the protection of the Amazon after the fires destroyed immense sections back in July and August.
Bolsonaro Attacks Environmentalist DiCaprio for Funding NGOs
After these comments made by the president of Brazil, a police raid at the offices of the 2 nonprofit groups in the Amazonian state of Para ensued. Some of the volunteer firefighters were arrested and later released.
The police say that these organizations are currently under investigation for alleged ignition of fires to get funding from NGOs. The federal investigators claim that their investigation is leading them into the direction of local land grabbers.
What Did DiCaprio Respond?
The stellar actor and dedicated environmentalist denied these claims on his Instagram page on November the 30th and stated that ‘the future of these irreplaceable ecosystems is at stake and I’m proud to stand with the groups protecting them. While worthy of support, we didn’t fund the organizations targeted.’
Amazon Fires Have Caused Immense Destruction
The Amazon forest has been burning since this summer and this was one of the worst fires that this area has had.
The actor didn’t just donate $5 million, but also worked together with Will Smith to collect money for the management of these fires.
Bolsonaro’s Accusations Are Being Crticized
The IUCN Species Survival Commission and the Global Wildlife Conservation are the two biggest environmental groups working in the Amazon.
They’ve released statements in which they condemn the accusations of the president, even though they never mentioned his name.
They claim they’re still highly concerned with the destruction happening in the ‘lungs of the earth’ and reaffirmed their stance with people trying to protect it.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time the Brazilian president has pointed to NGOs for the forests raging in the Amazon. He accused the environmental groups back in August for allegedly setting the forest on fire.
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