Samba school that praised Brazil's Lula at Rio Carnival relegated

Rio de Janeiro's annual carnival parade competition continued its tradition of vibrant dance and colour, with samba school Viradouro taking the crown for its tribute to its legendary drum director.

But there was an added element of entertainment this year: political controversy.

An homage to the life of Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by samba school Acadêmicos de Niterói came in last place after it received political backlash even during rehearsals.

It will now be demoted from the top tier of samba schools and will have to take part in the "second division" Série Ouro (Gold Series) in 2027.

The performance charted Lula's path from poverty as a shoeshine boy to eventually reaching the highest post in the country. Tiago Martins, a carnival parade designer at the school, called it a deeply personal story.

"The samba says it: there are children of the poor becoming doctors, and me, a child of the poor, becoming a carnival designer," he told Reuters. "We wanted to tell the story of a man who did a lot for the poor and for Brazil."

However, the opposition criticised the decision to spotlight a sitting president as a sign of early campaigning ahead of the October elections, with Lula seeking a fourth term.

Several lawsuits alleging that Lula could gain a political advantage from the tribute were filed but rejected by the courts, with opposition parties even requesting the parade to be blocked.

Lula himself gave his blessing to the performance of Acadêmicos de Niterói and watched it with thousands of people from the stands in the city's giant Sambadrome arena.

Another pointed political message during Acadêmicos de Niterói's performance was a display of former far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro as Bozo the Clown sitting behind bars.

The ex-president's son Flávio Bolsonaro has vowed to appeal a decision by the electoral court after it rejected requests by two opposition parties to prevent the parade.

Many on social media also took issue with a performance by dancers dressed as a traditional family preserved in a tin can titled "preserved neoconservatives" as mocking Christian values.

Despite the controversy, the parade of giant lions, dancing books and rainbow coloured plumes still delighted the crowds.

The performances are judged over 10 categories by a total of 40 judges, with the top 12 samba schools competing for the title.