In the dispute over the recent Amazon rainforest fires, Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has blamed the US actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio.
"Leonardo DiCaprio is a nice guy, is not he?" Said the head of state in front of the presidential residence in Brasília to supporters. "Give money to set the Amazon on fire." Previously, Bolsonaro had already accused non-governmental organizations to have set the fires in order to collect more donations because of the dramatic images.
The environmental organization WWF rejected the allegations. "Corruption was and is the main cause of the destruction of the Amazon, of land grabbing, violence against local communities and indigenous peoples, illegal activities and wood theft," it said in a statement. "What we expect from the government is the courage to tackle the problem of arson and land speculation."
Rainforest: Dangerous economic potential
Bolsonaro's government is internationally criticized for its environmental policies. The heavy forest fires in the dry season had caused consternation around the world. Bolsonaro sees economic potential in the rainforest and wants to tap into more land for agriculture, mining and energy. Critics accuse him of encouraging loggers and farmers to deforestation and slash-and-burn.
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According to the Brazilian space institute Inpe, from August 2018 to the end of July 2019, 9762 square kilometers of forest were destroyed. This roughly corresponds to the area of Cyprus and an increase of almost 30 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. Deforestation was similarly high in 2008. At that time, more than 12,000 square kilometers of forest disappeared within 12 months.
Most recently, four volunteer firefighters were arrested in the Pará region for allegedly firing. The prosecution later clarified that there was no basis for these allegations. The men were then released again.
