A carnival float in Rio de Janeiro's world-famous carnival parade was the center of a controversy over Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his upcoming bid for reelection.

Critics of the president accused him of improperly using the nation's high-profile Carnaval celebrations for political campaigning.

The parade float was created and performed by top samba school Academicos de Niteroi, centering Lula's trajectory from a childhood of poverty in Brazil's northeast region to one of Latin America's most prominent leaders.

The parade's floats, costumes and songs praised the current president, as it strode through Rio's Sambadrome on Sunday night.

The songs and dance represented Lula and ​his mother's life stories, but organizers had also planned to have the first lady Rosangela "Janja" da Silva appear in person in the last float. Her presence in the float was ultimately canceled.

Critics have said the float represents support for Lula's campaign for the presidency and as such, violates the country's laws.

Parede chief organizer Tiago Martins rejected the notion that the float was a campaign message, telling the Associated Press that Academicos do Niteroi had chosen to represent the Brazil's northeast and later decided that Lula's story fit with the theme.

"Lula deserves a tribute like this, just like any other Brazilian who does a lot for our people," Martins said.

Several lawsuits filed

Last year, the Brazilian president authorized the Academicos de Niteroi float that would tell his life storyand he personally welcomed Martins and other members of the group for dinner at the presidential residence of Alvorada.

On Sunday, Lula was present at the parade, but he did not speak publicly. He greeted the float participants but did the same with three other samba schools that followed. Lula did not mention the tribute.

Lula's critics filed several lawsuits ahead of the parade, including one that sought to stop the float from being displayed. All but one of the suits were dismissed, but more are expected to be filed now that the float took part in the Sambadrome.

In particular, critics have pointed to mentions of the number 13 in the group song's lyrics, which is the same that Lula and his Workers Party PT use at the ballot box.

"This is ‌the kind of thing you see in a Soviet republic, in North Korea, an ode to the great leader," said lawmaker Marcel Van Hattem, a leader of the opposition Novo Party, which filed one of the lawsuits against Lula.

"Samba schools are not meant to campaign for anyone," Brazilian lawmaker Kim Kataguiri said on X before the parade, adding that he had also filed a complaint against the parade float.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse