Brazilian President Blames Leonardo DiCaprio for Amazon Fires

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has accused actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio of financing fires that have been raging through the Amazon Rainforest recently, according to The New York Times.

The accusation was made days after members of a volunteer firefighting crew were arrested on suspicion of setting fires to increase donations for their organization. They were later released.

“This Leonardo DiCaprio is a cool guy, right?” Bolsonaro said. “Giving money to torch the Amazon.” He went on the claim the actor “donates $500,000 to this NGO” to set fires.

Bolsonaro did not provide any evidence following the accusation.

DiCaprio, who is on the board of the World Wildlife Fund, issued a response on his Instagram, stating, “The future of these irreplaceable ecosystems is at stake and I am proud to stand with the groups protecting them. While worthy of support, we did not fund the organizations targeted.”

Fires in the Amazon have increased 83% since Bolsonaro took office earlier this year. Deforestation in the rainforest has also seen record increases this year.