A diplomatic dust-up has erupted between Brazil and Germany after Rio de Janeiro’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, briefly branded German Chancellor Friedrich Merz a “Nazi” on social media.
The outburst followed Merz’s disparaging comments about the Brazilian city of Belem, which recently hosted the UN Climate Summit.
Merz, who attended the summit for just one day, told a Berlin trade conference that none of the journalists traveling with him wished to stay in Belem and that all were eager to return to Germany. His remarks provoked outrage across Brazil, where officials accused him of disrespecting the summit’s host city.
Paes lashed out on X, calling Merz a “Son of Hitler” before deleting the post and later explaining it was an emotional reaction. Other Brazilian leaders chimed in as well — President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva suggested Merz simply failed to appreciate Belem, while Pará state governor Helder Barbalho mocked the German leader for complaining about the region’s heat.
Hey Chancellor @_FriedrichMerz, far be it from me to spread gossip, but the mayor of Rio de Janeiro called you a son of Hitler, a bum, and a Nazi.
Harsh, right? pic.twitter.com/fpneMtnE9g
— TeAtualizei 🇧🇷👊🏻❤️ (@taoquei1) November 18, 2025
Merz has defended his original comments, saying they were meant to express pride in Germany rather than insult Brazil. Still, his remarks have drawn criticism at home, with Green Party lawmaker Katharina Dröge describing his performance on the trip as “disastrous.”
