Lula Rebukes German Chancellor Over Belém Remark as Berlin Moves to Defuse Dispute

Overview

• At a bridge inauguration, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Friedrich Merz should have visited local venues in Pará and argued that Berlin offers “not 10% of the quality” found in Belém.
• Merz had told a Berlin business congress that he and accompanying journalists were pleased to return to Germany after Belém, describing Germany as “one of the most beautiful countries in the world.”
• Germany’s government said Merz respects the effort of hosting COP30 in Belém, praised the Amazon’s “impressive nature,” and noted he regretted not seeing more of the region.
• Environment Minister Carsten Schneider said Germany would announce in the coming days a substantial contribution to Brazil’s Tropical Forests Forever Fund, aligning with earlier signals from Berlin.
• Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes briefly posted an insult-laden message calling Merz a “filhote de Hitler” and “nazista,” then deleted it and posted a message celebrating Brazil–Germany friendship, as online backlash toward Merz surged.