Every four years, the district of Caiçara in Belo Horizonte transforms itself. Rows of Brazilian flags dance from lamp-posts and telephone poles; the roads and pavements are slathered in blue, green and yellow paint by an army of volunteers.
It is a tradition that goes back to the 1994 World Cup, and until now has taken place entirely without objection. This time, however, the local community felt it necessary to issue a caveat. And so, in among the bunting and the balloons, a banner reads: “NÃO É POLÍTICA, É COPA.” It’s not politics, it’s the cup.
