“Community, Complexo, today is beer until tomorrow”, celebrated the executive director of Imperatriz Leopoldinense, João Felipe Drumond, with the trophy in hand, after the school was crowned champion of the Rio de Janeiro carnival in 2023.
Drumond is the grandson of Luizinho Drumond, who founded and built the school in the North zone of Rio de Janeiro. Drumond’s daughter, Cátia, is now the school’s president. She honored her father and Complexo do Alemão during the celebration.
In an interview with CNN , Cátia stated that the victory has no political symbolism: “It has nothing political, it has a lot of love, a lot of dedication and serious work. It belongs to the complex, it belongs to Seu Luizinho and it belongs to the Empress”, she said.
The victory was also the consecration of the official interpreter of the school, Pitty de Menezes. He won his second title, his first in the special group. In 2022, the interpreter helped to take Estrela do Terceira Milênio to the special group in São Paulo, with the first place in the second division of the São Paulo carnival.
“We didn’t even think about politics, we did everything with love, we wanted to win this championship. It’s been 21 years without winning this championship, there was no politics, there was love that we wanted to put on this ground”, he said to CNN .
Controversy with influencer
The school’s victory was also used to react to the criticism made by Bolsonarist influencer Antônia Fontenelle after the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).
The controversy started when the blogger criticized the clothes worn by the first lady, Janja, during Lula’s inauguration in a live.
“That there, folks, is Imperatriz Leopoldinense’s old school clothes, because it’s a neutral school, sausage water, it doesn’t fall or rise,” declared the Youtuber.
Janja was even invited to be the godmother of the Velha Guarda and planned to parade with the Empress, but ended up giving up at the last minute. The president of the Independent League of Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro (Liesa), Jorge Perlingeiro, told CNN who still believes that the couple can go to Sapucaí in the parade of champions next Saturday (25).
A CNN , the school interpreter responded to the provocations: “The answer has been given. Whoever spoke, listened. That’s the answer, it’s a championship, and Janja didn’t come but she was in our hearts”.
“That lady who spoke rubbish about our empress, our old guard. Old guard that deserves respect, the Empress deserves respect and the sausage water passed there and is a Carnival champion”, added Menezes.
On her Twitter account, without mentioning the Bolsonarist blogger, Janja celebrated the title: “Congratulations to my dear Imperatriz Leopoldinense, champion of the Carioca Carnival, with a historical plot about Lampião. So grateful to be godmother to the Escola Velha-Guard this year!”, she said.
On her Instagram account, Antônia Fontenelle even returned to talk about the subject when the school took over the leadership of the carnival.
“The people are already talking like this: look, get ready to ask for the PIX that you will give the title to the Empress. I’m not wanting to argue, none of that, it’s because with a month to go, people woke up and started breaking. Really, you don’t think I deserve a PIX, do you?”, mocked the influencer.
She even shared a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation in which someone said to her: “You raised Janja and a dead school”. In another message shared by her, the school is called “dead”.
Complexo do Alemão
The Complexo do Alemão community, in the North zone of Rio, was also honored by the school. Part of the group’s members come from there.
The mayor of the city, Eduardo Paes (PSD), commented on the subject on social networks: “Viva CPX (who doesn’t know what it is, get informed) of Alemão! Long live Empress Leopoldinense! Long live Ramos! Long live the carioca suburb! Long live this beast that is Leandro Vieira!”, He posted.
The controversy arose during the electoral campaign, when, on a visit to Rio de Janeiro, Lula wore a cap with the acronym CPX, used to identify complexes of communities in the city. The gesture was criticized by opponents who tried to associate the acronym and the region with drug trafficking.
Source: CNN Brasil
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