The actor and environmentalist released a statement on Saturday after President Jair Bolsonaro falsely accused him of funding the fires recently set in the Amazon rainforest.
The actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio said on Saturday that he was not going to let President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil get in the way of his support of the Amazon rainforest.
Mr. DiCaprio released a statement after Mr. Bolsonaro falsely accused him of bankrolling fires recently set in the Amazon.
“At this time of crisis for the Amazon, I support the people of Brazil working to save their natural and cultural heritage,” Mr. DiCaprio posted on Instagram. “They are an amazing, moving and humbling example of the commitment and passion needed to save the environment.”
The statement comes a day after the Brazilian president appeared to allude to disputed social media posts claiming that the World Wildlife Fund, an international environmental organization, paid for images taken by volunteer firefighters during the catastrophic blazes and then used the images to ask for donations, including a $500,000 contribution from Mr. DiCaprio.
The actor added he is “committed to supporting the Brazilian indigenous communities, local governments, scientists, educators and general public who are working tirelessly to secure the Amazon for the future of all Brazilians.”
On Thursday, President Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo Bolsonaro — also a politician in Sao Paolo — tweeted that DiCaprio donated $300,000 “to the NGO that set fire to the Amazon” and accused World Wide Fund for Nature for paying for fake pictures of the fires. The Brazil chapter of the WWF condemned and refuted the allegations.
