Lawmaker Adriana Ventura (Novo-SP) has sent questions to Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) regarding the Acadêmicos de Niterói samba school's parade honoring President Lula at Rio's Carnival, funded by public money. Opponents accuse the initiative of implicit early electoral propaganda in an election year. Despite contrary recommendations, the TCU upheld the R$1 million transfer from Embratur to the school.
The Acadêmicos de Niterói samba school's parade at Rio de Janeiro's Carnival, set for the Marquês de Sapucaí avenue, has drawn attention for its samba-enredo honoring President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), in a year when he is a reelection candidate. The school received R$1 million from Embratur, public funding distributed to Grupo Especial groups, prompting legal actions from opponents.
On January 27, the Partido Novo filed a petition with the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) against the transfer, signed by Deputy Marcel Van Hattem (Novo-RS) and other lawmakers. Van Hattem criticized: “It’s a mockery. This is further proof that the PT doesn’t care about taxpayers. It prefers to transfer a million reais to a samba school to create an enredo in favor of Lula instead of directing it to areas that really matter”.
The TCU's technical area recommended suspending the payment, citing misuse of purpose, but Minister Aroldo Cedraz upheld the transfer. Senator Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF) filed an action with the Electoral Public Prosecutor's Office, seeking to prohibit the parade's broadcast and suspend the funds. She stated: “They can honor Lula, but without public resources, outside the election year, and without ridiculing Bolsonaro”.
Meanwhile, Deputy Adriana Ventura (Novo-SP) consulted the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) on whether the exaltation amounts to implicit early electoral propaganda, citing jurisprudence that does not require an explicit vote request. A 13-meter float will depict Lula's transformation from worker to president. Ventura emphasized: “There is currently a dangerous gray area in electoral legislation. There is a lack of clear guidance from the TSE and a lack of action from institutions that should curb abuses”.
She posed four specific questions to the TSE, including whether the use of public funds aggravates the characterization of propaganda and if the Carnival's cultural context exempts it from electoral rules. The TSE has not responded yet.
