The presence of presidents of the Republic at Marquês de Sapucaí and other samba avenues in the country is nothing new. Over the decades, associations have transformed heads of the Executive into symbols of national projects, historical figures or targets of social criticism. The form and context of each tribute, however, varied depending on the political moment.
Below is how each president was portrayed on the avenue:
Getúlio Vargas
- 1956 – Mangueira: “Exaltation of Getúlio Vargas – National Emancipation of Brazil”
It was the first time that a school took a president to the role of plot. The parade celebrated Vargas as a central figure of Brazilian nationalism and industrialization, in a laudatory tone just a few years after his suicide in 1954.
- 1985 – Salgueiro: “Thirties, South Wind”
The school revisited the period of the 1930s, when Vargas came to power, placing the president in a broader historical context, with an emphasis on the country’s social and political transformations.
- 2000 – Portela: “Workers of Brazil: the time of Getúlio Vargas”
In the themed Carnival of Brazil’s 500th anniversary, Portela revisited the Vargas Era as a landmark in labor legislation and the construction of the modern State, connecting the period to the imaginary of the “father of the poor”.
Juscelino Kubitschek
- 1981 – Mangueira: “From Nonô to JK”
The plot covered JK’s personal and political trajectory, highlighting the construction of Brasília and the developmental discourse of “50 years in 5”. The parade focused on the image of modernization and progress associated with the former president.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Lula is the president most portrayed by samba schools and the only one to become a central theme while in office.
Opportunity with security!
- 2003 – Beija-Flor: “The people tell their story: the empty bag doesn’t stand still”
Two months after taking office for the first term, the parade associated the new government with the fight against hunger and inequality. Lula appeared as a symbol of social ascent and policies aimed at the popular classes.
- 2012 – Gaviões da Fiel (SP): “You’ll See That the Faithful Son Doesn’t Run Away from the Fight – Lula, the Portrait of a Nation”
The São Paulo school built a biographical plot, reconstructing the former metalworker’s trajectory to the Presidency. The narrative praised Lula’s personal overcoming and political role.
- 2023 – Cidade Jardim (BH): “Without fear of being happy”
The oldest school in Belo Horizonte dedicated the parade to the president, resuming historical symbols linked to the PT and political activism.
- 2026 – Academics from Niterói (RJ): “From the top of the mulungu comes hope: Lula, the worker of Brazil”
The plot covered his childhood in the Northeast, his union activities and his arrival in Planalto. The parade included contemporary political references and generated debate as it took place in an election year, with Lula in office.
Fernando Collor
- 1991 – São Clemente: “I’ve already seen this film”
The parade used satirical language to criticize repeated political cycles in Brazil. The Collor government was associated with the confiscation of savings, an economic measure adopted the previous year, which had a negative impact on its management.
Dilma Rousseff
- 2012 – Vai-Vai (SP): “Women who Shine”
Dilma was cited as an example of female leadership in politics. The parade addressed the presence of women in positions of power and mentioned the president as a symbol of this institutional achievement.
Michel Temer
- 2018 – Paraíso do Tuiuti: “My God, my God, is slavery extinct?”
The school presented a social critique with a strong political charge. Temer was represented as a “neoliberalist vampire”, an allegory that referred to labor and social security reforms and became one of the most talked about moments of that Carnival.
Jair Bolsonaro
- 2020 – Academics of Vigário Geral (RJ): “The vicar’s tale”
One of the floats included a character associated with the former president, in a critical tone.
- 2020 – São Clemente (RJ): “The vicar’s tale”
The school used humor and references to government catchphrases, with caricatural representation linked to the presidential figure.
- 2022 – Rosas de Ouro (SP): “Health”
The parade featured a character with a presidential sash who, upon receiving the vaccine, transformed into an alligator — a reference to statements made by Bolsonaro during the pandemic.
Over time, presidents have been exalted when associated with national projects or criticized in contexts of political and social tension.
The novelty of 2026 is less in the presence of a president on the avenue — a practice already consolidated — and more in the combination between the central plot, exercise of office and the ongoing electoral calendar.
