Earlier this week five volunteer firefighters were arrested for setting fires in the Amazon. The men were part of the Alter do Chão brigade, which helped battle huge fires this year in the northern Pará state.
According to the BBC, the firefighters were arrested after police raids on the offices of Projeto Saúde e Alegria (PSA), or Health and Happiness Project. Brazilian officials raided the headquarters of the PSA and took computers and documents.
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President Jair Bolsonaro later accused the NGO and activist actor Leonardo DiCaprio of paying to burn the Amazon!
The left is outraged over the accusations.
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2 days ago, police arrested 5 men from an "ecological" NGO for setting #AmazonFires & then taking photos it sold to WWF#LeonardoDiCaprio provided 500 000$ to buy the photos
Remember what Pres. #Bolsonaro said during the fires?
"NGOs & suspicious ppl with cameras"@Jouberth19 pic.twitter.com/smpAKWvyFi
— BasedPoland (@BasedPoland) November 30, 2019
Veja.abril.com reported on the arrests earlier this week.
(translated)
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The Operation Fire of Sairé, which concluded that the fire that struck an Environmental Preservation Area (APA) in the tourist district of Alter do Chão in September this year had involvement of NGOs (non-governmental organizations). Police officers served four pre-trial detention orders against members of the Alter Fire Brigade.
According to the information released by the police, evidence was gathered in two months of investigations that indicate the brigade’s involvement as “causing the episode.” Daniel Gutierrez, who was in charge of the operation, João Victor Pereira Romano, Gustavo de Almeida Fernandes and Marcelo Aron Cwerner were arrested. Seven search and arrest warrants issued by the 1st Criminal Court judge, Alexandre Rizzi, were also fulfilled. The operation is being coordinated by the Santarém Specialized Agricultural Conflict Police Station (Deca) and the Research Support Center (NAI), with the support of the Interior Police Directorate (DPI).
