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Rio Carnival takes a stand - 4th March 2020
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro was celebrated in style last week.
Threaded through this year's glamour and glitter was a strong political commentary.
President Jair Bolsonaro and his far-right government have held power for just one year. In that time, they have deeply divided Brazil, with attacks on every cause close to the heart of Carnival - diversity, LGBT rights, and the arts.
The incredible floats and costumes also represented concerns about the environment as deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon has increased 85.3 percent during Bolsonaro’s first year in office.
The city's mayor, Marcelo Crivella, has been critical of Carnival since gaining power in 2016. This year, he blocked all city funding for samba schools. Despite this set back, most schools still spent the last twelve months rehearsing and constructing amazing floats to compete to become Carnival Champions. This year the honour was awarded to the Viradouro Samba School.
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