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(CNN) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro blamed an unusual candidate this week for causing Amazonian forest fires: actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio.
Bolsonaro made the statement Thursday in a webcast, arguing that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) contributed to the forest fires that ravaged the Amazon rainforest earlier this year.
“The people of the NGOs, what did they do? It's easier? They set fire to the bush, ”he said, without providing evidence to support the accusation.
He continued: “Take a picture, film, send it to an NGO, the NGO spreads it, makes a campaign against Brazil, contacts Leonardo DiCaprio and Leonardo DiCaprio donates $ 500,000 to this NGO. One part was for people who were setting fire, right?
"Leonardo DiCaprio, you are helping with the burning of the Amazon, that cannot be," said Bolsonaro.
The Brazilian president reaffirmed his accusations on Friday, speaking with supporters outside the Presidential Palace in Brasilia.
“Leonardo DiCaprio is a great guy, isn't he? Donating money to set the Amazon on fire, ”he said.
DiCaprio responded to the allegations on Saturday on Instagram, refuting Bolsonaro's accusations while maintaining his support for Brazilians working to save the Amazon.
"The future of these irreplaceable ecosystems is at risk and I am proud to support the groups that protect them," he wrote. "Although they deserve support, we do not fund the organizations attacked."
Two groups criticize Bolsonaro's accusations
Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC) and IUCN Species Survival Commission are two of the largest environmental groups working in the Amazon. Both organizations issued statements condemning Bolsonaro's accusations, although neither mentioned him by name.
GWC said it remains concerned about the destruction of the Brazilian Amazon and reaffirmed its position with those who protect it.
“The Amazon rainforest is in crisis. Historically, Brazil has made impressive progress towards protecting its unique ecosystem, "said the GWC statement." However, we are alarmed by recent events that seek to undermine this progress. In recent days, false accusations have been made to undermine environmental defenders and distract the general public from policies that lead directly to environmental disasters such as those in the Amazon earlier this year. ”
IUCN similarly reaffirmed its support for those who protect the forest, while expressing concern over recent comments.
"As an umbrella organization committed to the conservation of biodiversity, we are concerned that there are growing and selective attacks against people and groups working to protect nature in the Amazon," reads his statement. "Environmental defenders, whether in local communities, NGOs or government agencies, should be granted the greatest protection of the law in Brazil."
Bolsonaro has made similar accusations before
This is not the first time Bolsonaro has pointed to NGOs as causing forest fires. In August, when international criticism of the fires was at its peak, he accused environmental groups of causing fires in the Amazon.
These accusations occurred despite the arguments of groups such as Amnesty International, which attributed the fires to Bolsonaro and its policies that have led to increased cleaning of land in the jungle by loggers and ranchers.
Jair Bolsonaro, Leonardo DiCaprio