The samba school “Rosa do Povo” won the Access Group championship at the 2026 Curitiba Carnival, turning its debut into a high-impact result. Beyond competition, the parade delivered a clear message of solidarity with Gaza and Palestine, embedding that position directly into its samba-enredo and aligning artistic performance with an explicit socio-political stance.

Its inaugural a samba-enredo, “A Rose Is Born in the Curitiba of All Peoples”, Palestine was not a small detail in the presentation, it was one of the emotional centers of the samba theme. Gaza and the Palestinian people were portrayed as symbols of strength, survival, and dignity in the face of violence. 

The support for Gaza and Palestine was made explicit through visual and lyrical elements. Performers wore the Palestinian keffiyeh, and the costumes incorporated the colors of the Palestinian flag into the school’s visual identity. The lyrics referenced Palestine directly, including the line “If the bombs pursue, we play drums,” linking percussion to cultural resistance and framing art as a counter-force to violence. Ancestry and collective memory were presented as instruments of resilience, positioned as forms of symbolic counter-attack against erasure.

Another recurring phrase, “From the garbage dump, a flower was born,” reinforced a narrative of regeneration under conditions shaped by prolonged Israeli occupation in Palestine. The metaphor pointed to the material and environmental degradation associated with decades of military control, blockade, land confiscation, and recurrent destruction, particularly in Gaza, where infrastructure, housing, water systems, and agricultural land have been repeatedly damaged. 

By invoking the image of a flower emerging from refuse, the school framed Palestinian resilience as the capacity to sustain life, culture, and identity despite structural devastation.

Through music, choreography, and symbolism, Rosa do Povo positioned its Carnival debut as a public act of solidarity, linking artistic performance to a broader critique of occupation while consolidating competitive recognition and institutional visibility.

Through music, choreography, and symbolism, Rosa do Povo positioned its Carnival debut as a public act of solidarity, linking artistic performance to a broader critique of occupation while consolidating competitive recognition and institutional visibility.

View this post on Instagram

Founded in August 2025, the samba school “Rosa do Povo” was created to give visibility to peripheral communities in Curitiba and its metropolitan region, bringing Black and Indigenous identity, ancestry, and shared struggle to the center of the parade avenue. In less than a year, more than 300 people came together around the project, turning community energy and volunteer effort into a cohesive Carnival performance. 

READ: Brazil sets Gaza-only mandate and Palestinian seat as conditions for joining US “Peace Council”

According to its president, Paulo Bearzoti Filho, the Palestinian presence was intentional and strategic within the show. Bearzoti emphasised that the Arab Palestinian community forms part of the historical and social fabric of Curitiba and Paraná. “We always had the idea of placing the Arab Palestinian issue first in composing Curitiba,” he stated. He added that Palestinian resistance has long resonated with the school’s leadership and community.

“From the initial planning we intended to include a section honoring Palestine, whether because it forms part of the ethnic makeup of Curitiba and Paraná, or because of its decades-long history of resistance.” 

“From the initial planning we intended to include a section honoring Palestine, whether because it forms part of the ethnic makeup of Curitiba and Paraná, or because of its decades-long history of resistance.” 

Referring to the current context, he cited “what is described as genocide perpetrated by Israel” as an additional factor reinforcing the relevance of the tribute. The inclusion of the keffiyeh was deliberate: “The scarf was included because it would clearly signal that this was a tribute to Palestine.” At the same time, he stressed the importance of aesthetics and audience engagement: “We sought to create a carnival costume, something that would engage with the audience and fit within a carnival parade.”

View this post on Instagram

Public reception, he reported, exceeded expectations. “The public reacted very well. During the preparation for the parade, many people wanted to march in the Palestine section.” Due to limited financial resources, the school was only able to include ten participants in that section, despite broader interest. “Many people wanted to participate, especially those who identify with the Palestinian cause,” including activists and members of Palestinian organisations in the region. “The reaction was very positive… we faced no objections, no obstacles; no one complained.”

The broader narrative of the parade was structured around resistance as a unifying principle. “We wanted to portray all peoples through a perspective of resistance,” Bearzoti explained. Italian immigrants, for example, were represented through early twentieth-century anarchists. “We sought, in each people or in several peoples, aspects of their culture that represented political resistance or resistance in everyday life.” In his view, solidarity emerges through shared struggle. “We always wanted to convey the message that peoples unite through their struggle and their resistance. It was only natural to do something like this with the Palestinian people as well.”

View this post on Instagram

Reflecting on the championship, Bearzoti attributed the result primarily to collective cohesion. “In my opinion, the most important aspect of a samba school is its community,” he said. Rosa do Povo draws participants from several peripheral regions of Curitiba and the metropolitan area. “I believe this unity of the community created the conditions for us to win the parade, but above all to put on such an exciting performance.” He described a strong emotional atmosphere during the presentation. “There was a very strong spirit in the parade, a strength, a faith and I think the Palestine section contributed greatly to that determination, that faith, that strength.”

Closing the interview, Bearzoti reiterated his solidarity with the Palestinian cause and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to contribute. He added that Rosa do Povo is willing to continue promoting initiatives and performances in support of Palestine.

OPINION: Mexico declines Trump’s Gaza Peace Board and reaffirms support for Palestine

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.

© Middle East Monitor