Leonardo DiCaprio warns of extinction risk for frog species in Chile

Actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio has issued an urgent plea to protect the Pehuenche thorny-headed frog, a species facing critical extinction risks in the Andes mountains of Chile and Argentina.

DiCaprio’s appeal targets the Los Cóndores–Río Diamante electrical interconnection project, an initiative by Enel Generación Chile designed to strengthen energy integration between the two nations. The project involves a 500 kV transmission line and a new substation. DiCaprio noted that fewer than 1,000 specimens remain in the wild and warned that the infrastructure could threaten their vital mountain stream habitats.

The actor clarified that conservationists are not necessarily demanding the project be halted, but rather that it be relocated to an area that does not jeopardize the species. He emphasized that protecting the frog is essential for maintaining the broader ecosystem, water resources, and climate resilience.

Regional authorities in Maule, Chile, have previously expressed unanimous opposition to the project due to its potential environmental impacts. While the project was scheduled for discussion by the Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA), the session was recently suspended.