Between huge flags with the face of the Brazilian president and the militant chant “Olé, olé, olé, olá, Lula, Lula”, the Rio Sambadrome It became the scene of a controversy that transcends samba. the school Academics from Niterói will dedicate its Carnival parade to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silvaa decision that revived the debate on the limits between cultural tribute and political propaganda.
Academics will open the show on February 15within a competition in which twelve schools recreate historical episodes, characters or national traditions. On this occasion, the narrative covers Lula’s life from his poor childhood in Pernambuco until your arrival at Planalto Palaceas a way of thanking the public policies of their governments.
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“It’s not propaganda, it’s a tribute,” he says. Hamilton Juniordirector of the school, who maintains that many members benefited from social programs promoted by the president. The samba highlights his working-class origin, union militancy and social transformations of his first mandates, although it includes references to the current political situation.
During the rehearsals, images of former president Jair Bolsonaro appear characterized as a prisoner or with allusions to deaths from covid, while the verses mention tariffs, sanctions and the demand for amnesty for the former president, sentenced to 27 years for attempted coup d’état. Although the word elections is not directly mentioned, the message is interpreted as a Lula’s implicit defensewho is seeking a fourth term in October.
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The opposition reacts
The reaction of the opposition did not take long. Center-right and right-wing legislators filed judicial appeals to demand the return of public funds granted to the school, close to 180 thousand federal dollars and more than 800 thousand municipal dollars. They argue that it is a campaign event financed with state money.
Embraturthe tourism agency responsible for federal support, defended the project by noting that it respects the artistic autonomy of the schools. In contrast, Bolsonaro sectors even asked to prohibit the television broadcast of the parade.
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