Weekly Report - 19 February 2026 (WR-26-07)

One of Rio de Janeiro’s samba schools, Acadêmicos de Nitéroi, used its float at the Carnival parade on 15 February to pay a grand tribute to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Political statements are often expressed by Carnival performers, but this particular display of support for Lula has faced a fierce backlash from the opposition. Given that Lula is running for re-election in the presidential race in October, right-wing figures, such as Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who is currently expected to be Lula’s main rival in the election, have condemned the Carnival float as an illicit act of electoral propaganda.