in Rio de Janeiro, provoked an immediate reaction from allies and opponents and is already the target of questions in the Electoral Court.
On social media and in press releases, opposition parliamentarians classified the presentation as possible advance propaganda and an electoral crime. Government officials, on the other hand, claim that it is a cultural event and accuse opponents of trying to censor carnival.
Opposition parties announced this Monday (16) that they will prosecute the case. There is already one to investigate any practice of advance advertising. The fine provided for in the legislation varies from R$5,000 to R$25,000.
Even so, the Novo party reported that it was an alleged abuse of political and economic power, under the argument that public resources had been used to promote the president’s image.
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), pre-candidate for president, stated that he will file an action “against the PT’s crimes in Sapucaí with public money”.
On the other side, members of the government and the PT reject any irregularity.
The national president of the PT, Edinho Silva, stated that he had sued the Electoral Court against the Acadêmicos de Niterói parade. According to him, the presentation was a “great popular demonstration” and excited the Sapucaí public.
The Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, Guilherme Boulos, also said that. He stated that the legislation is clear in pointing out the explicit request for a vote and the abuse of economic power as irregularities, which, according to him, did not occur. “They’re trying to find hair in eggs. It’s a struggle.”
See below other demonstrations in favor of the parade:
Michel Temer
Former president Michel Temer (MDB), mentioned in the story, stated that. He recalled that he was satirized by the Paraíso do Tuiuti school in 2018 and said that political satire is part of the carnival tradition.
This year, Acadêmicos de Niterói portrayed Temer “stealing” Dilma Rousseff’s presidential sash, in reference to the 2016 impeachment process. “Political satire is part of the Carnival tradition. And as a defender of freedom of expression and artistic freedom, I do not judge the choices made as a theme on the avenue,” he stated.
Paulo Teixeira
On social media, the minister of agrarian development Paulo Teixeira stated that Sapucaí witnessed “living history passing through the avenue”.
“Yesterday Sapucaí witnessed a great parade in honor of President Lula. It was living history passing through the avenue, before the eyes of the entire country. Very exciting!”
Humberto Costa
The PT senator said that the school narrated the trajectory of a “Northeasterner who dedicated his life to the people”.
“Those who went hungry today feed the soul of Carnival. Acadêmicos de Niterói tells the story of this northeastern man who dedicated his life to the people. It’s an emotion that never ends!”, he wrote in X.
See below other demonstrations against the parade:
Michelle Bolsonaro
Former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro (PL) also spoke. One of the floats showed the clown Bozo behind bars, wearing prison clothes and an electronic ankle bracelet. When reposting the image, he wrote: “This is a judicial record, not an opinion.”
Rogério Marinho
Leader of the opposition in the Senate, Rogerio Marinho criticized the parade and stated that transforming the samba school into a “political platform” goes beyond limits and violates ethics and democratic balance.
“If any other political agent promoted a similar act, the institutional reaction would be immediate. The law cannot have a chosen recipient. We will not accept the normalization of the indirect use of high-profile cultural events as an instrument of personal and electoral promotion,” he said.
Coronel Zucco
Federal deputy Zucco (PL-RS) released a statement about the case and stated that the plot and Lula’s presence in the parade creates “indications that deserve investigation regarding the possible early electoral promotion”.
“Appropriate measures will be analyzed, with legal responsibility, with the competent bodies, including the Electoral Court and other control bodies”, he wrote.
