Carnival kicks off amid political divisions
RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil’s famed Carnival kicked off in earnest on Saturday, as millions of scantily-clad revellers poured into the streets, many of whom took the opportunity to parody or otherwise comment on the nation’s deeply polarised politics.
Since right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro took office in Jan 2019, Brazilians have been sharply divided, with supporters crediting the former army captain for a rapid drop in violent crime and an improving economy, while his detractors have denounced what they consider racism, sexism and disrespect for the poor.
Along with a clutch of conservative allies, including Rio de Janeiro’s evangelical mayor Marcelo Crivella, Mr Bolsonaro has shown little interest in
Carnival and at times denounced what he sees as debauched behaviour.
To be sure, most partiers on Saturday were dressed in apolitical garb, ranging from mermaid to cowboy costumes, indicating Brazilians were focused on revelry first, and politics second.
But in the biggest cities, there was no love lost, as many costumes poked fun at Brazil’s leaders.
In the northeastern city of Recife, home to one of the country’s most famous Carnival celebrations, musician Antonio Nobrega dedicated an opening performance to Brazil’s artists and journalists. Both those groups have repeatedly drawn ire from Brazil’s political leaders, with politicians often singling out individual journalists and newspapers for criticism.
The famed Mangueira samba school, a type of performing troupe that spend months preparing elaborate parades for Carnival, has already ruffled feathers with plans for a march through Rio de Janeiro’s legendary Sambodromo yesterday night with a performance expected to take jabs at police violence.
Under Mr Bolsonaro, homicide rates in the city have plummeted, but killings by police have sky-rocketed, sparking a major debate about policing tactics, particularly in poor communities.
Early on Saturday, the Tom Maior samba school paid homage during their performance to Marielle Franco, a black, lesbian Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman whose 2018 assassination triggered protests throughout the country.