Rio de Janeiro’s famed carnival ignited political debate as a samba school honoured President Lula, drawing criticism for mixing politics with celebration in an election year.
RIO DE JANEIRO: A colossal metallic robot depicting President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva towered over the Sambadrome on Sunday night. The tribute by samba school Academicos de Niteroi kicked off Rio’s three days of dazzling parades, tracing Lula’s life from poverty to the presidency.
The opposition slammed the parade as veiled early campaigning ahead of October’s polls. Lula, who is seeking a fourth term, watched the spectacle with his wife from a VIP box.
The parade featured striking workers and dancers representing access to electricity and social benefits. The crowd sang along to the theme song, which included the supporters’ chant “Ole, ole, ole, ola; Lula, Lula!”
“I support Lula… but we’re in a very divided moment,” said events organiser Luena Holliday, 51. She told AFP she found the theme “confusing” and questioned its appropriateness.
The parade made no direct mention of the election but did not shy from politics. Its theme song declared “no amnesty,” a leftist chant against freeing former president Jair Bolsonaro.
One float depicted a giant Bozo the Clown in prison stripes behind bars, a clear reference to Bolsonaro. “Bozo in Jail? That’s where he is supposed to be,” spectator Nelia Macedo, 44, told AFP.
Retired businesswoman Marcia Alves, 59, disagreed with the political theme. “You shouldn’t mix Carnival with politics,” said Alves, who is not a Lula supporter. “It’s for everyone to have fun.”
Brazil’s electoral court rejected opposition requests to block the parade last Thursday. The court warned it could still investigate the event for potential electoral violations after it concluded.
The presidency also warned officials attending carnival events against making statements that could be seen as early propaganda. “We did not come here to campaign,” said Leonel Querino, a director of Academicos de Niteroi. “We came here to celebrate the story of a worker in Brazil.”
