“Thankyou Leo!”: Leonardo DiCaprio In Bolsonaro Beef Over Rainforest Ahead Of Brazil Elections

Leonardo DiCaprio and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have engaged in a war of words on social media, after the Oscar winner used the platform to urge the South American country’s young people to vote in the forthcoming elections.

The Oscar-winning eco-champion wrote on Twitter on Thursday:

“Brazil is home to the Amazon and other ecosystems critical to climate change. What happens there matters to us all and youth voting is key in driving change for a healthy planet,”

Bolsonaro, who has stirred up international controversy with his policies including cutting environmental protections for the Amazon rainforest, responded with sarcasm:

“Thanks for your support, Leo! It’s really important to have every Brazilian voting in the coming elections. Our people will decide if they want to keep our sovereignty on the Amazon or to be ruled by crooks who serve foreign special interest.”

This isn’t the first time the pair have clashed. When DiCaprio donated $5m to conservation efforts in 2019, the Brazilian president accused him and other NGOs of “giving money to set the Amazon on fire.”

In 2021, DiCaprio and other high-profile figures urged President Biden not to sign an environmental deal with Brazil, which would put the Amazon at further risk.

Bolsonaro has argued that his government needs to exploit the development opportunities in the rainforest region to help reduce poverty.