Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and actor Leonardo DiCaprio argued on social media following a tweet from the actor about caring for the environment and a message to young Brazilians that annoyed the president. In this framework, the Hollywood star who donated millions of dollars for the preservation of the Amazon wrote: “Brazil is home to the Amazon and other ecosystems critical to climate change,” adding: “What happens there matters to all of us and the vote of young people is key to driving change for a healthy planet.” In this way, he called on young people to vote in that year’s elections, indirectly positioning himself against the proposal of Bolsonaro, who cut the resources of environmental protection policies.
“Thank you for your support, Leo! It is really important that all Brazilians vote in the next elections,” the president responded sarcastically and said: “Our people will decide if they want to maintain our sovereignty over the Amazon or be ruled by thieves who serve foreign interests.” Currently, the Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world, encompassing much of northwestern Brazil and extending to Colombia, Peru and other South American countries. Given this situation, the actor maintains that it should have greater protection, which is why, in 2019, it delivered US$5 million to strengthen conservation programs. For his part, Bolsonaro did not position himself in favor of his government’s environmental policies and facilitated deforestation in the region. This decision hits the world, given that the rainforest absorbs amounts of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
