(CNN) — The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, said that he is better than the Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio “keep your mouth shut” in reaction to the actor’s views on the Amazon.
Bolsonaro made these statements on Tuesday before a group of supporters who gathered in front of the Alvorada Palace, the official presidential residence.
“Now, DiCaprio has to know that it was the president of the World Trade Organization himself who said that without Brazilian agribusiness, the world would be hungry,” Bolsonaro said.
“So DiCaprio better keep his mouth shut than talk nonsense.” Bolsonaro also accused the American actor of publishing images of fires in the Amazon “from 20 years ago”.
Bolsonaro’s response came following a series of tweets by DiCaprio in recent days urging young Brazilians to register to vote in the October election. In one of the tweets, wrote: “Brazil is home to the Amazon and other ecosystems critical to climate change. What happens there matters to all of us, and youth voting is key to driving change for a healthy planet.”
He then encouraged young people to find more information regarding registering to vote on the Olha o Barulhinho website, which offers step-by-step instructions on how to register.
The next day, President Jair Bolsonaro quoted DiCaprio’s tweet as saying: “Thank you for your support, Leo! It is very important that all Brazilians vote in the upcoming elections. Our people will decide if they want to keep our sovereignty over the Amazon or be ruled by crooks serving foreign special interests. Good job on The Revenant.”
In Brazil, voting is not compulsory for people between 16 and 18 years old. Many local artists and celebrities have asked people to register and vote in the October presidential election.
By Camilo Rocha in São Paulo and Karol Suarez in Atlanta
