RIO DE JANEIRO: Rio de Janeiro kicks off its annual carnival parades on Sunday, the first of two nights of glittering, over-the-top spectacle set to pack a heavy dose of political commentary on Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

Vying for the title of carnival champions, the city’s 13 top samba schools will have one hour each to impress spectators and judges with elaborate shows flush with scantily-clad dancers, small armies of drummers and floats built on seemingly impossible feats of engineering.

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