Parade with Lula repeats 2006, when school with story about Alckmin was demoted
The decision by Acadêmicos de Niterói to take a plot in honor of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to the avenue recalls another case involving carnival and elections. In 2006, Leandro de Itaquera, from São Paulo, exhibited allegories with dolls of the then governor Geraldo Alckmin (at the time, in the PSDB) and the then mayor José Serra (PSDB) in an election year.
Months before the election, Leandro de Itaquera presented a story at the Anhembi Sambadrome about festivals and traditions in São Paulo, with references to the works to lower the Tietê River channel, one of the main administrative showcases for toucans in the State. The São Paulo club ended up relegated that year. Now, the choice that honored Lula also fell to the second division of the Rio carnival.
One of the floats featured large dolls of Alckmin and Serra, as well as a bust of former governor Mário Covas and the image of a toucan on the front of the float. The exhibition provoked a reaction from the Workers’ Party (PT) in the São Paulo City Council.
Opportunity with security!
“Art is not for cowards”, reacts Janja after the school that honored Lula is demoted
Passage of Academicos de Niterói to Sapucaí provoked an offensive from the opposition, alleging that the president committed illegal acts that favored him in the race for re-election
PT members are silent about the relegation of the samba school that held a parade about Lula
Passage of Academicos de Niterói to Sapucaí provoked an offensive from the opposition, alleging that the president committed illegal acts that favored him in the race for re-election
At the time, PT councilors filed a class action lawsuit in São Paulo to try to stop the parade with mention of toucans. The bench also presented a request to investigate the possible transfer of public resources to the school and sued the Judiciary alleging a possible violation of electoral legislation.
Leandro de Itaquera ended up relegated at the end of that carnival. As in the current episode, the fall occurred after a parade marked by references to figures from the national political scene.
In Rio de Janeiro, however, the relegation of recently promoted schools from the Gold Series to the Special Group is recurrent and usually occurs in the first year in the elite.
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.
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 on Tuesday, the 17th, that the samba school “committed the practice of religious prejudice directed at Christians”.
The national president of the 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”.
