Rio to kick off Carnival parade with ode to Lula in election yearRevelers from the Academicos de Niteroi samba school wave flags depicting Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during a technical rehearsalRIO DE JANEIRO (BRAZIL) - Rio de Janeiro on Sunday kicks off three days of dazzling carnival parades with a tribute to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that the opposition has criticized as early election campaigning ahead of October polls. - Warnings against election propaganda -On Friday, the presidency warned officials attending carnival events to "refrain from making statements that could be characterized as early electoral propaganda." Lula's Worker's Party (PT) on Saturday said the Academicos tribute to Lula was "a cultural manifestation, and any activity of an electoral nature is prohibited at this time." The Academicos parade will involve 3,000 people and feature different scenes from Lula's life, from his poor beginnings in Brazil's northeast, to his time as a factory worker and union leader. The accompanying samba song chants out "Ole, ole, ole, ola; Lula, Lula!

Source: Bangkok Post February 16, 2026 02:03 UTC