00:00With his fist raised in triumph, and a sparkly sequined suit, this float celebrates the life
00:06story of Brazil's President Luiz Inácio da Silva.
00:10Its inclusion in Sunday's carnival parade in Rio has sparked outrage in Lula's political
00:15opponents who argue it unfairly politicizes the event ahead of October elections.
00:21Its designer disagrees.
00:24It's not campaigning, it's a narrative that tells the life story of a warrior of
00:28a man who, despite all obstacles, got to the presidency.
00:33We wanted to tell the story of a man who did a lot for the poor and for Brazil.
00:38It's the first time a sitting president has been honoured in the parade.
00:42The Samba school follows Lula's journey from poverty to political triumph.
00:47Burnt with Lula vying for a fourth non-consecutive term, his critics say the float counts as
00:52illegal campaigning, using taxpayers' money, as Samba schools receive government funding
00:57for their floats.
00:59Several lawsuits were filed against the school.
01:01All but one were rejected by Brazil's High Court on Thursday.
01:05Right-wing Senator Sergio Moro tweeted his criticism of the float.
01:10It was a depressing spectacle of abuse of power, with praise for Lula but omitting his corruption
01:15scandals, all financed by the government.
01:18North Korea couldn't have done better.
01:20Another perceived dig at the political right came from this depiction of Bozo the Clown behind
01:26bars, thought to be a veiled reference to the country's former leader, Jair Bolsonaro,
01:32who's currently serving a 27-year prison term for a failed coup attempt.
01:37NUMBERLAND
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