By  Tom Phillips

March 1, 2006

It is the world's largest, most scantily clad street party. But what Rio's annual carnival has lacked in clothes it has made up for in politics.

The 70,000 revellers who have crammed into the city's sambadrome each night since Saturday have been served a feast of political propaganda, ranging from a Venezuelan-sponsored effigy of the revolutionary Simón Bolívar to samba themes glorifying Brazilian politicians in the run-up to elections.

"We're in an election year, and they're all opportunists," said Wilson das Neves, a respected Rio sambista who has taken part in processions since 1976. "They get involved in the processions to see if they can hoodwink the people."

Mr Neves's school, Imperio Serrano, whose theme this year dealt with Brazil's religious diversity, was the exception in what is being described as the most political carnival in recent history.

Lisa Shaw, of the University of Liverpool and author of The Social History of the Brazilian Samba, says the mixing of samba and politics dates back to the dictator Getulio Vargas, who legalised samba parades in the 30s. "Vargas was instrumental in co-opting popular culture, particularly Afro-Brazilian, for political purposes," she said. "Certainly his brand of populism contributed a lasting legacy to Brazilian politics."

The world-famous Mangueira school led the political celebrations, performing a tribute to the Sao Francisco river, the subject of a controversial water distribution project that the government says would provide water to six million north-easterners in a drought-stricken region. Thousands of participants chanted this year's homage to irrigation - sponsored by the Ceara state government: "Thanks to irrigation, the ground became an orchard, and has first-class fruits for the tasting."

In the nearby city of Campos, no fewer than six schools dedicated their themes to the populist presidential would-be Anthony Garotinho, who models himself as a protector of Brazil's poor and evangelical communities.

In Sao Paulo there was controversy after the city's mayor and governor appeared in the form of two giant statues on one school's multi-coloured float.

Yet the peak of this year's political display came on Sunday when a huge effigy of Bolívar, with a golden sword thrust into the air and angels' wings streaming off his back, rolled out on to the walkway, raising a flashing neon-heart into the air. Part of the Vila Isabel school's procession, the parade was sponsored by the Venezuelan petrol company PVDSA and featured a reference to Soy loco por ti, América, (I'm crazy about you, America) a 60s anthem dedicated to the Latin American left.

Hugo Chávez's Venezuela was not the only international player to find its way into the most Brazilian of parties this year. Also on show were images of Saddam Hussein and Martin Luther King, whilst Osama bin Laden carnival masks were once again best sellers in markets.

Neves said he feared that increasingly political performances threatened the true message of samban social justice. "During carnival politicians go out kissing everyone ... Then after the elections they forget about them all," he said. "But Brazilians aren't stupid; they know what's going on."