The technical area of the Federal Audit Court (TCU) recommended continuing the investigation into the allocation of federal resources linked to the 2026 Rio de Janeiro Carnival and suggested blocking the transfers until there is a decision on the merits of the rapporteur, Minister Aroldo Cedraz. The demonstration is a response to the representation presented by the Novo party bench, filed on the 28th.
According to the TCU, the preliminary analysis indicates the need to further investigate possible irregularities in the use of public funds. For auditors, relevant risks are present, both due to the amount involved and a possible violation of the principles of impersonality, administrative morality and the unavailability of the public interest.
Novo’s representation questions the transfer of R$ 12 million from the Brazilian Agency for the International Promotion of Tourism (Embratur) to the Independent League of Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro (Liesa), through a collaboration agreement whose purpose would be to promote Brazil abroad. According to parliamentarians, part of the resources would benefit a samba school that intends to take to the avenue a plot extolling President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, candidate in the next elections, which would constitute a misuse of purpose.
In a note included in the process, deputy Luiz Lima (Novo-RJ), one of the signatories of the representation, stated that the initiative is not related to censorship or interference in the cultural content of Carnival, but with monitoring the use of public resources, especially in an election year.
The technical instruction also pointed out inconsistencies in the collaboration agreement itself, such as differences in the list of schools covered. According to the auditors, the document includes an association outside the Special Group and excludes another that, in theory, should receive the resources.
Given this scenario, the TCU technical unit suggested the adoption of a precautionary measure to suspend the transfer of R$ 1 million to Liesa, intended for the Unidos de Padre Miguel or Acadêmicos de Niterói schools, if the amount has not yet been transferred, until the final judgment on the merits. The process now goes to the TCU rapporteur for analysis, who must decide on the adoption of the proposed precautionary measures and on further investigation.
