Hollywood celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio and his Shutter Island co-star Mark Ruffalo celebrated the narrow presidential victory of Brazil’s socialist candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over incumbent conservative populist Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday.
Celebrities called it a win for the environment while also expressing hope that the same thing will happen in the United States.
“The outcome of the Brazilian election presents an opportunity to change the course of history, not just for Brazil & the Amazon, but for the world,” DiCaprio tweeted.
“Thank you for being a champion of democracy, of the people, the Amazon, and all living things within,” Ruffalo tweeted.
“They defeated extremism and fascism in Brazil. Let’s do it in America,” Star Trek’s George Takei posted.
As Breitbart News reported, Lula eked out a victory over Bolsonaro on Sunday, with a little more than a percentage point separating the candidates. Lula, 77, is a hardline socialist who was once convicted and sentenced to over two decades in prison for alleged corruption.
His win represents his third term in office after serving as president from 2003 to 2011. Lula has put the environment and climate change activism at the center of his candidacy.
“Let’s fight for zero deforestation,” Lula reportedly said Sunday night. “Brazil is ready to resume its leading role in the fight against the climate crisis, protecting all our biomes, especially the Amazon forest.”
That must have been music to Leonardo DiCaprio’s ears. The Titanic and Revenant star ranks among Hollywood’s biggest climate change activists, even though he has been known to indulge in private jets and yachts.
Disney-Marvel’s Avengers star Mark Ruffalo called Lula’s win “spectacular.”
Star Trek actor George Takei declared the election represented the defeat of “extremism and fascism.”
Star Wars‘ Mark Hamill tweeted his congratulations to Lula in Portuguese.
Prior to the results on Sunday, Barbra Streisand signaled her support for Lula on environmental grounds, saying “our warming planet needs the Amazon not being destroyed.
Warner Bros. Aquaman star Jason Momoa also signaled his support for Lula in an environmental-themed Instagram post prior to Sunday’s results.
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