‘Bois-bumbás, for being cultural, are also political, but not partisan’

Priscilla Peixoto – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS- The direction of the oxen Garantido and Caprichoso determined the prohibition of the use of image of the official items and fans linked to the oxen in political-partisan events. The determination was disclosed after the visit of Colonel Menezes (no party) to the city of Parintins, (369 kilometers from Manaus), last Saturday, 19. After the ally of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and pre-candidate for the Senate appear in images next to a sympathizer representing the Boi Caprichoso, at the airport Julio Belém, the case reflected negatively in the media and social networks.

The determinations of the bumbás bring up the reflection of how complex the cultural connection with political issues can be and how this can generate “problems” for democracy, since would-be candidates can take advantage of the scope of a popular manifestation to revert in votes. In the analysis of sociologist and political scientist Helso Ribeiro, it is unquestionable that politics is present in all areas of society, but it is necessary to understand when this is used as political promotion.

“The bois (oxen) have a political connection, we know that, what is strange is when we see someone who never had a visceral connection with this, using icons of these cultural manifestations to catapult a political campaign. I understand that, no one having or having connection, should use associations, because if you see well, the sympathizers, either of Caprichoso, Garantido, Fluminense, Flamengo, wherever, they are heterogeneous in their political choices and, then, no one should appropriate these images for a political promotion”, analyzes Helso.

Interests X Truth

Although electoral interests are not something uncommon to happen, the political scientist points out to the understanding that a candidate can, yes, be concerned about promoting cultural activities. “When an outsider tries to take over, it gets even uglier because we see a purely electoral interest. Of course there are those who are really concerned with promoting, but it’s different”, explains the sociologist and scientist, who recalls episodes of this kind.

“In this pre-electoral moment we are going to see these scenes that border on the ridiculous. I never forget a certain candidate, in a samba court, sambering, without ever having set foot in a samba school. At this moment, just like candidates carry little children, take pictures with needy people and the like, they also try to appropriate the popularity that these cultural manifestations develop. Others, on the other hand, we know that they are in fact connected with these manifestations, but when they parachute in, they take pictures just like those politicians who hate children, but pose and carry them for the cameras during elections”, he considers.

Culture and democracy

According to anthropologist Ademir Ramos, any cultural manifestation in the democratic context has to be marked by democracy. Culture cannot go against the democratic right, it elevates democracy, from the moment it affirms a certain social, regional, and national identity marked by the diversity of values, in a political conjuncture in favor of democracy, be it participative or representative.

“Any cultural manifestation in a democratic context has to follow the practices of democracy that is characterized by the imperative of the norm, of the law, of law and justice, in a plural conjuncture. They are deeply articulated. Democracy becomes legitimate through culture, through its values, principles, identities of a people. It is important that we first of all understand this”, highlights Ademir, who comments on the great mass movements being constantly sought after by both the right and the left, because of the strong reach they have.

“Does mass culture interfere in the behavior of the population and the voter? Well, we see many artists involved with the bull who ran for office and didn’t win, there are also those who came from the bull and managed to get elected. Just see how there is a weight and a counterweight, but there is no direct decision. The fact is that the ox, being a cultural manifestation, participates in this process, but it is not a determining factor to seduce the voters (?) culture has great value, yes, sought by both the right and the left that can, directly or indirectly, influence, this is possible, but not determining”, Ademir points out.

The scholar points out that the bois-bumbás, for being cultural, are also political, but not partisan, and reducing the bois to the interests of certain candidates becomes an electoral process that may have weight with the institutions’ followers. “It’s ideological, it’s political, and it’s cultural, and to reduce this to candidacies, I think it affronts their own statute, but it’s necessary to read it to back it up”, says Ramos.

Positioning

Searched by the team of CENARIUM MAGAZINE to know what the position before the repercussion of the matter, the pre-candidate to the Senate Colonel Menezes said that the idea of being received by the oxen was the Bolsonarist supporters of the island and that the advice, embracing the idea, sent the request to the appropriate associations asking the presence of bumbás to receive the arrival of the pre-candidate to the city.

According to Menezes, after the advisory send the request the Garantido would not have confirmed the presence, but the Caprichoso, contrary to what he said in a note released in the media, would have knowledge about the presence of the ox at the airport.

“Saturday night I saw the repercussion on the internet, still in Parintins. The Bolsonaristas of Garantido questioning why their ox wasn’t in the pictures either. On Sunday, the president of Caprichoso released a note, due to political pressure, stating that he did not know what was happening and saying that the ox that was there (airport) was not theirs. Nobody takes a bull from anyone’s stall and nobody makes a fake bull and, when he issued this, the supporters of Parintins took the note and said: ‘look, president, you knew, yes,’ and even said that it was you who took the bull, so, he (president) is not telling the truth”, says Menezes, who did not identify the names that would have taken the ox of cloth to the reception at the airport.

He completes suggesting an audit to prove the truth and pointing out that Garantido would not have been released because of pending favors to a certain politician in the region.

“If he didn’t receive the letter, someone received it for him and didn’t talk to him, this is a problem for his house, but the ox that was at the airport was the ox from the stall. It is only necessary to investigate, to do an audit to see that he is lying. Now, in the case of Garantido, there is a rumor that the president did not release the ox because of favors that he owes to a certain senator. Just see the affinity, red, PT, leftist”, comments the colonel.

Taking advantage

The colonel says that if the intention was to harm his figure because of political issues, in fact, the situation helped him to gain visibility, although it was not something planned. When asked if he had gone to the city to fulfill a political agenda, Menezes denied it and said he had gone to a meeting at the invitation of the president’s supporters.

“I don’t feel harmed and I am laughing my ass off at this situation. I left there with the entire population of Pin and the surrounding areas wanting to know who I am, and showing exactly the trash that these comrades politicians who think they own the state are, and the trash that is the quality of the politics they do”, Menezes emphasizes.

Caprichoso

Sought by CENARIUM, the press office of Boi Caprichoso said that, in fact, received the request letter, but there was not the release of the ox and neither the request answered back to the colonel’s office.

“The Boi-Bumbá Caprichoso Cultural Association, through its president Jender Lobato, hereby communicates that it does not authorize the use of the image of the Boi Caprichoso, its items, and its supporters for political purposes. (…) In a context of party-political polarization, we do not take a position. We welcome, in different contexts, all visitors and collaborators of our Cultural Association. We receive with open arms, as the opposite in fact, different authorities from the Republic and the State of Amazonas, all democratically elected. But, we don’t campaign nor have a side, because our party is popular culture and the preservation of our patrimony”, determines an excerpt of the note.

Regarding the reception made for Colonel Menezes, where the ox that defends the colors blue and white appears in the images, the advisory of Boi-Bumbá Caprichoso reported that he did not know that the bumbá would be taken to a reception at the airport of Parintins and, according to the document, neither the ox nor the tripa (person who gives life and movement to the cloth ox) were officers or substitutes of the association.

“About the occurrence and its repercussion in news sites and social networks, we did not know that the Boi Caprichoso would be taken to a reception at the Parintins airport. We also emphasize that neither the ox that was taken nor the tripe were the official ones; neither official nor substitute. (…) Still about what happened, we make it clear that those responsible will be fined, not in retaliation for being affiliated to parties or groups, but because Bumbás should ensure the isonomy and fairness of treatment to all citizens, including representatives of the State and, especially, to workers of culture”, the document emphasizes.

Garantido

Like Caprichoso, the Boi Garantido was also sought to know its position towards Menezes’ statements. In response, the red and white boi replied that will not give more continuity on the subject and that the positioning of the bumbá is exposed in a note released in the media.

“The board of the Folkloric Association Boi-Bumbá Garantido (AFBBG) communicates to all artistic bodies, managers of groups, administrative representatives, associations linked and other collaborators, that is TERMINALLY PROHIBITED the participation of Boi Garantido or artistic bodies members of the folkloric association in events of a political nature without the consent or proper authorization by the presidency of AFBBG. The insistence will be considered as an infraction and will have a prompt response from the board of directors of the Boi Garantido”, says the note.