Grupo A escolas "threaten rebellion"

Here's interestingly little news item in the paper today about Grupo A. The background: Last year (2009), organization of Grupo was turned over to a group called LESGA. The president of LESGA is also the president of the escola Inocentes de Belford Roxo. In the 2009 Carnaval, Inocentes finished near the bottom and should, according to the rules, have been sent down to Grupo B. Amazingly, no escola was sent down at all - quite contrary to the rules, and leaving Grupo A overflowing with 12 escolas instead of the usual 10.
The 2010 Carnaval results were so surprising they resulted in a near-riot at the Grupo A score announcement earlier this week. Many people have commented that Inocentes placed freakishly high for what was rather an unimpressive parade (Inocentes finished 2nd) and that Rocinha, Cubango and Unidos de Padre Miguel were all scored unfairly low. In another departure from normal protocol, the names of the judges this year were not announced till just before Carnaval.
It is typical for escolas to complain after low scores, but the situation in Grupo A right now seems especially heated.

From today's O Globo newspaper (Saturday 20 Feb 2010):

Escolas Threaten Rebellion in Grupo de Acesso
by Paulo Marqueiro, with Alice Fernandes
(translated by KH. Link to original version here)

Grupo de Acesso (Grupo A) is in an uproar. Just days after the announcement of the results of the parade, in which São Clemente was the winner, several escolas are threatening to "turn the baiana" [cause a loud public commotion] against the League of Escolas de Samba of Grupo de Acesso (LESGA). Directors of the escolas intend to meet in the coming days with the president of the Independent League of Escolas de Samba (LIESA), Jorge Castanheira, who coordenates the Carnaval of Grupo Especial, to ask that either LIESA take over the administration of the Grupo A parades, or that the city of Rio re-take control of the event.

The escola heads had already been dissatisfied with LESGA before Saturday's parade, and the dissatisfaction only grew after the tumultuous reading of the scores last Tuesday. The president of Acadêmicos da Rocinha, Maurício Mattos, one of the most rebellious, questioned the result, which left his escola in 10th place at the edge of being sent down (to Grupo B). He said that the sambistas in Grupo A were only told who the judges would be on the Wednesday before Carnaval.

"In the list of judges, Fernando Bicudo was the only person we recognized. The rest were unknown," criticized Maurício Mattos. "I believe the objective was to make Rocinha descend to Grupo de Acesso B."

In an article published in GLOBO on Feb. 11, mayor Eduardo Paes said that the city government has no interest in re-assuming the administration of the Grupo de Acesso parade, but that they will not permit abuses. Paes was referring to the scores of the 2009 Carnaval, the first one coordinated by LESGA. Contrary to the rules, no escola descended to Grupo B that year, which left Grupo A with 12 escolas parading in just one night.

In the parade this year, Inocentes de Belford Roxo, the escola of the president of LESGA, Reginaldo Gomes, ended in 2nd place. Estácio was in third; Acadêmicos de Santa Cruz, fourth; Império da Tijuca, fifth; Império Serrano, sixth. In 11th place was Unidos de Padre Miguel, and in 12th Paraíso do Tuiuti, both sent down to Grupo de Acesso B.

The president of LESGA could not be reached to comment on the confusion in Grupo A.