German Official 'Discovers' Amazon City Isn't Berlin, Outrage Ensues
Merz apparently expressed shock that COP30 would be held in a city 'in the jungle,' questioning the infrastructure of Belém, a metropolitan hub of over 2.5 million people on the Amazon's edge. This 'discovery' by a German official mirrors centuries of European 'explorers' marveling (or sneering) at the 'undeveloped' lands they sought to colonize and exploit. Lula's justified outrage, calling it
'prejudice,' highlights the enduring legacy of such attitudes. One might wonder if Merz checked how much German industry profits from resources extracted from similar 'jungles' before criticizing their infrastructure. It appears concern about climate often comes with a generous side of colonial condescension when the inconvenient 'natives' aren't perfectly aligned with a European aesthetic of
'readiness.' Some 'green' movements, it seems, are still very white.