The samba school Acadêmicos de Niterói paraded on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at Sapucaí, with an enredo honoring President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, sparking accusations of early electoral propaganda and religious discrimination against evangelicals. The opposition filed actions with the courts and PGR, while the PT defended the school's artistic autonomy. First Lady Janja Lula da Silva withdrew from participating moments before the parade.
The Acadêmicos de Niterói parade on the first day of the Rio de Janeiro Special Group Carnival, February 15, 2026, at Marquês de Sapucaí, featured an enredo on Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's trajectory, from his childhood in Pernambuco's hinterland to his consolidation as an international political leader. The narrative included references to events like the family's migration to São Paulo, imprisonment during Lava Jato, and criticisms of opponents, such as portraying Jair Bolsonaro as the clown Bozo behind bars. The samba-enredo repeated the chorus 'Olê, olê, olá, Lula, Lula' and cited the PT's number 13, along with indirect allusions to Bolsonaro as 'false myths'.
An ala named 'Neoconservadores em Conserva' sparked controversy by satirizing elites, military dictatorship defenders, and evangelical groups, with costumes of conserve cans representing the traditional family. Senator Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF) accused the school of 'religious persecution' and vowed legal action, claiming disrespect to the faith of millions of Brazilians. Senator Magno Malta (PL-ES) and Deputy Rodolfo Nogueira (PL-MS) filed with the Procuradoria-Geral da República (PGR) for religious discrimination. The school received equal public funding to others, totaling about R$ 10 million from federal, state, and municipal sources via Liesa and Embratur.
The opposition, including the Novo party and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), alleges early electoral propaganda and abuse of power, promising actions at the Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE), which denied a prior injunction but signaled post-event scrutiny. Experts like Alberto Rollo point to 'excesses' in the parade, such as jingle repetitions and mentions of current policies, potentially leading to fines or ineligibility. The PT issued a statement affirming the enredo was autonomous, without party interference, and constitutes freedom of expression. The school rebutted in an official note, denouncing political persecution and interferences from Carnival managers, but resisted and carried out the parade. Online, 39% of 242,630 mentions were negative, focusing on public fund use and electoral crimes, per Brandwatch monitoring. Lula watched from the city hall box, kissing the flags of the four schools of the day, without specific mentions to the enredo. The Imperatriz Leopoldinense complained of a 5-minute delay caused by Niterói's floats.
