Brazil's Culture Ministry to Reopen Under Singer Margareth Menezes After Bolsonaro Era Closure

Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has selected singer Margareth Menezes to lead the reopening of the Ministry of Culture, which was shuttered on Jair Bolsonaro's first day in office in 2019. Menezes, an axé music star from Bahia with eight albums since 1988, previously collaborated with Gilberto Gil, who served as culture minister during Lula's earlier administration from 2003 to 2008. Bolsonaro's presidency saw significant cuts to cultural funding, including halving the maximum value of the Rouanet Law tax break program to 50,000 reais (£7,685) and pausing federal support for arts in areas with COVID-19 lockdowns in March 2021. The far-right leader dismissed pandemic seriousness despite 691,000 Brazilian deaths and criticized artists protesting democratic erosion as a 'movement of a few' no longer benefiting from funding cuts. Lula's election victory with 50.9% of the October runoff vote hinged partly on restoring the culture ministry and creating local committees to direct state arts support. The incoming president, who previously served two terms before corruption charges were overturned, will be sworn in on 1 January 2023.