NEWS IN ENGLISH – “Pacotão” gets Brasília’s carnival celebrations off to a rowdy start – as usual

20/02/2012 11:09

Luciana Lima       Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – People in Rio and São Paulo, along with thousands of tourists from all over the world, cannot be blamed for not knowing anything about carnival in Brasilia. It does sort of pale in comparison to what happens in the country's twos largest cities.

Brasilia’s carnival does have a unique moment: it is always kicked off by the marching band known as “Pacotão.” Actually, the band is only a small part of a huge ragtag mass of varied humanity that parades on the first day of carnival, that is, Saturday. And it is an exaggeration to say it "parades" or "marches." The festive column meanders.

The name means “big package,” a reference to a package of nasty goal-post-moving rules the military dictatorship forced on the nation way back in the 1970s [officially the “Pacote de Abril, 1977,”] It was decreed, during a period the generals closed the Congress for 14 days, with the principal objective of ensuring a victory of government allies in municipal elections that year. It also created “bionic” senators (appointed by the generals and occupying one third of the seats) because in 1974 the opposition shocked the government – winning 17 out of the 22 Senate seats that were in play. The Pacote came after the Lei Falcão (1976) that muzzled candidates, prohibiting them from saying anything during their televised campaign commercials. It was all part of the oppressive, dictatorial atmosphere in Brazil at that time.

The Pacotão (born in 1978, when it marched down a busy avenue against the flow of traffic) has become a tradition in the country’s capital. It indulges in revelry every year, taking aim mainly at the government and politicians with caustic humor, irony and irreverence.

The purposely pompous official name of the aggregation is “Sociedade Armorial Patafisica Rusticana Dër Pakoton” (no translation is possible).

This year one of the favorite themes of the Pacotão was president Dilma Rousseff as cleaning lady (“faxineira”), who sweeps away the dirt in the government. She has been very busy with her broom as no less than six of her cabinet-level ministers have resigned since June accused of being corrupt.

Another favorite target was the governor of the Federal District (Brasilia), Agnelo Querioz, who was criticized for not getting much done (he has been awfully busy defending himself from charges of corruption in his two previous jobs at the ministries of Health and Sports). He was dubbed Agnull (“Agnulo”).

The Pacotão merrymakers also had a field day with the heated debate at the Supreme Court on not one but two burning issues of the day: whether or not corrupt judges can be investigated for corruption and whether or not politicians with criminal records can run for office (also known as the "CNJ" and "Ficha Limpa" cases, respectively).

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English – content modified

Link - Pacotão não poupa críticas à políticos e à imprensa