Pre-candidate for the Presidency, senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) and politicians opposing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) celebrated this Wednesday, 18th, the relegation of the samba school Acadêmicos de Niterói to the Gold Series, the second tier of the Rio carnival. The group came into the sights of right-wing parliamentarians after the parade in honor of Lula and the wing that mocked the “preserved family”, on Sunday, the 15th.
“God’s projects cannot be mocked. Lula is always a bad idea, whether for governing the country or for a samba plot. Let us never forget: family is something sacred. After this school, the next relegation will be for Lula and the PT”, wrote the senator on social media.
The publication features an image of the parade with men characterized as canned goods, with a “family” seal. In the photo, Flávio added the caption: “Academics of Niterói demoted! Anyone who attacks families does not deserve applause.”
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The presentation was criticized by parliamentarians from the evangelical and Catholic fronts of Congress, who stated that Christians were portrayed in a disrespectful way. In reaction, Flávio and other oppositionists shared images with illustrations of pickled cans printed with photos of their families.
‘It’s time to demote Lula’, say oppositionists
Other politicians aligned with the opposition also celebrated the result. Allies of former president Jair Bolsonaro associated the school’s performance with the presidential race and, like Flávio, stated that they intend to “demote” Lula in the October elections.
Pre-candidate for the Senate for Santa Catarina, former councilor Carlos Bolsonaro (PL) stated that the school “displeased the majority”, “used the public machine” and left the parade with a ‘humiliating defeat’.
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Federal deputy Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) said that the club’s relegation shows that Lula is “sinking Brazil”. “This was a very appropriate tribute”, he declared. Representative Zé Trovão (PL-SC) wrote: “The samba school is gone; in October it will be our turn to relegate Lula to oblivion”.
Federal deputy Júlia Zanatta (PL-SC) stated that “life will imitate art” and accused the school of committing an electoral crime. “To crown the disaster, the samba school Acadêmicos de Niterói, which carried out early electoral propaganda for Lula, was demoted during Rio Carnival. 2026 is the year to rescue Brazil,” he said.
Senator Sérgio Moro (União-PR) classified the relegation as an “omen”, while Senator Rogério Marinho (PL-RN) stated that the attempt to transform carnival into a platform “ended up receiving the most symbolic response possible”.
The governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema (Novo), also mocked the result. “We are very saddened by news like this,” he wrote.
Criticisms and representations in court
The opposition to Lula had already criticized on Monday, the 16th, the Acadêmicos de Niterói parade honoring the PT member. The Novo Party announced that it will call the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) again to request the president’s ineligibility. The party had already tried to block the presentation.
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), Lula’s main opponent in the presidential race, also criticized the PT member and said that he uses public money “to campaign in advance for himself”. The pre-candidate in this year’s election stated that he also intends to take action against Lula with the TSE due to the presentation.
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The Catholic Parliamentary Front and the Evangelical Parliamentary Front in Congress criticized the parade. The two benches claim that the content displayed disrespected the Christian faith and that they will take action against the Judiciary and control bodies.
The Brazilian Bar Association Rio de Janeiro Section (OAB-RJ) stated, in a statement released this Tuesday, the 17th, that the samba school “committed the practice of religious prejudice directed at Christians”.
The national president of the Workers’ Party (PT), Edinho Silva, minimized criticism of the parade and classified the attempt to transform the tribute to Lula into political wear and tear as “ridiculous”.
