About
The Pixuleco / Lulainflado (Inflated Lula) refers to a series of photomontages involving a 12 meter-tall inflatable doll of Brazil’s former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva dressed as a convict, as a part of the 2015 protests in Brazil. [1]
Origin
In 2015, a massive series of anti-corruption and anti-government popular protests erupted in Brazil, thanks to the aggravation of an economic crisis and the developments in the investigations of a giant corruption scandal involving the state-owned oil company Petrobras. President Dilma Rousseff’s party, the Worker’s Party, has been severely implicated in the scandal. The protesters demanded the ousting of president Dilma Rousseff and the end of the Worker’s Party (PT) ruling.[2] The first protest, which happened in March 15, was attended by 2.4 million people.[3] A second protest scheduled for April 12 gathered over 700,000 people.[4] During the third protest, which was scheduled for August 16 and had an attendance of close to a million people,[5] the Movimento Brasil (Brazil Movement) exhibited a 12 meters (39 feet)-tall inflatable doll of Rousseff’s predecessor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in the country’s capital, Brasília.[1] The doll featured a caricature of Lula in black and white prison garb with a ball and chain around his ankle, and was dubbed “Pixuleco,” a reference to the codeword for “money” used by the involved in the Petrobras corruption scandal. Lula, who ruled the country between 2003 and 2010, is being investigated for alleged influence peddling,[6] and his popularity has eroded ever since.
Spread
Since the day of the protest, the doll has quickly become extremely popular among Brazilian internet users. Numerous photoshoped involving the doll in various comical scenarios have taken the internet.[7] Users created the hashtag #lulainflado for the spread of photomontages.
After the protests, the doll initiated a tour around Brazil. On August 28, protesters inflated the doll on the bridge Octavio Frias de Oliveira, in São Paulo. The studio of the TV news program Bom Dia São Paulo has windows from which the bridge can be seen, but was aired with the windows closed in order to hide the appearance of doll.[8] The move to hide the doll has been severely criticized by internet users,[8] who promptly mocked Globo, the news corporation responsible for the program:
On the same day, it was exhibited in front of City Hall of São Paulo. A turmoil started when supporters of the Worker’s Party attacked the protesters, and a member of the Communist Party of Brazil stabbed the doll.[9] It was fixed by the owners, and on August 30 it appeared at the Paulista Avenue, where it caused another turmoil.[10] Supporters of the Worker’s Party have sworn to stab it again.[11] Not intimidated by the threats, the protesters continued the tour and carried the doll to Curitiba.[12]
Notable Examples
Search Interest
External References
[1]Reuters – Brazil protesters keep pressure on President Rousseff
[2]Reuters – Brazil’s Rousseff popularity plunges amid scandal, bad economy
[3]Globo – Mapa das manifestações no Brasil, domingo, 15/03
[4]Globo – Mapa das manifestações no Brasil, domingo, 12/04
[5]Globo – Mapa das manifestações no Brasil, domingo, 16/08
[6]FT – Prosecutors in Brazil investigate Lula for alleged influence peddling
[7]UOL– Boneco inflável de Lula usado no protesto em Brasília vira meme
[8]Veja – Globo explica por que não exibiu Lula inflado
[9]O Globo – Boneco inflável de Lula sofre ‘atentado’ durante protesto em São Paulo
[10]Veja – Lula Inflado: patrulha petista tumultua protesto contra o governo na Av. Paulista
[11]Reinaldo Azevedo – No Facebook, defensores do PT incitam a violência. Os que protestam contra o governo não podem ceder às provocações
[12]Veja – Lula Inflado visita Curitiba, sede da Operação Lava Jato