Technicians from the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) have recommended suspending a R$ 1 million public fund allocation to the Acadêmicos de Niterói samba school, which plans an homage to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the Rio de Janeiro Carnival parade. The amount is part of a R$ 12 million contract between Embratur and the Independent League of Rio Samba Schools (Liesa). The precautionary measure aims to prevent risks to principles of impersonality and administrative morality, according to the technical opinion.
The technical area of the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) issued an opinion recommending a precautionary measure to block a R$ 1 million transfer to the Acadêmicos de Niterói samba school. This group, part of Rio's Carnival elite, plans to parade with the theme "From the top of the Mulungu rises hope: Lula, the worker of Brazil," an explicit homage to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection in 2026.
The amount is included in a R$ 12 million contract signed between Embratur, the federal government's tourism promotion agency, and the Independent League of Rio Samba Schools (Liesa), which organizes the parade. The TCU's recommendation responds to a petition from lawmakers of the Novo party and proposes the block until a merits decision by the case's rapporteur, Minister Aroldo Cedraz.
According to the auditors, the transfer poses a risk to public interest and may violate constitutional principles of impersonality and administrative morality, as the theme exalts a sitting political figure. The TCU favored proceeding with the petition, but the suspension requires judicial approval. No contradictions appear between the analyzed sources, which align on key facts.
