A Rio Carnival parade will tell the story of a trans woman nearly burned at the stake

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro will present the story of a trans woman nearly burned at the stake in the 16th century, highlighting the ongoing violence against transgender people in Brazil, which has the world’s highest reported trans homicide rate.

Born as Francisco Manicongo in what was then known as the Kingdom of Kongo, Xica Manicongo was captured and enslaved in Brazil’s northeastern Bahia state. Authorities from the Portuguese Inquisition threatened her with execution for cross-dressing and having same-sex relations, both practices the Catholic Church deemed heretical.

To avoid death, she agreed to wear men’s clothing and use her male birth name — and so denied her identity.

She was rechristened Xica in 2010 in an effort to right the wrongs of the past.

The parade, scheduled for Tuesday night, four days after Carnival officially kicks off, is the creation of Paraiso do Tuiuti, one of Rio's 12 top-flight samba schools competing in the iconic Sambadrome. Tuiuti hopes the tale of Manicongo will dazzle millions of spectators watching from the bleachers and their homes, and serve as a wake-up call.

Jack Vasconcelos, Tuiuti's Carnival director who created its theme, said he wanted to give younger generations of trans women a sense of belonging to history.

“They deserve to appear on television, to appear to the whole world, not just in the murder statistics. They are women who produce. They’re lawmakers, they’re teachers, they’re artists,” said Vasconcelos. “They’re not people on the margins of what has happened in the world and what is happening now.”

Since Tuiuti embraced Vasconcelos’ proposal, the school's hundreds of members have been preparing for their performance. Like other parades, the show will feature sequined costumes and elaborate floats. One of its innovations is a section exclusively comprised of trans women.

“It’s a historical reparation,” said Alessandra Salazary, who has been attending weekly rehearsals for the past few months. “Paraiso do Tuiuti is giving us an opportunity to be stars in front of the cameras. This is very special for us and will really go down in history.”

The parade will feature other notable figures, including Brazil’s first trans lawmakers, Duda Salabert and Erika Hilton; Rio state lawmaker Dani Balbi and Bruna Benevides, who heads Brazil's trans rights group Antra. Benevides identifies as “travesti,” a term referring to a specific Latin American identity that activists say is claimed by people assigned the male gender at birth, but who experience the female gender and should be treated as such. She and Tuiuti say Manicongo was likewise a travesti.

The specter of violence Manicongo faced five centuries ago hasn't vanished.

Brazil remains the world’s deadliest country for transgender people, with 106 murders last year, according to Transgender Europe, a network of global nonprofit organizations that tracks the data. It marked the 17th consecutive year Brazil claimed this grim distinction.

Such statistics are at least partially driven by poor reporting elsewhere and Brazil’s active network of advocates, but experts agree transphobia is ubiquitous. During last year’s local elections, trans candidates were assailed with death threats and trans people continue to struggle to land jobs or secure places to live.

Benevides has been working with Tuiuti to provide trans women and travestis with opportunities. For months, she has organized two classes: one teaching samba, so they can get work as professional dancers, and another for costume design. The parade has been an opportunity to strengthen bonds between the samba and trans communities while conveying a political message, Benevides said.

“We are seeing a strong anti-trans agenda in the world trying to reverse our rights, direct attacks, politically motivated attacks against our existence,” she said.

Samba schools' parades often make political statements. Tuiuti last year told the story of João Cândido, who led a revolt in 1910 against the use of whips in the Brazilian navy. He was tortured and kicked out of the navy. Vasconcelos said at the time that he chose the theme because violence reminiscent of slavery continues to this day.

Onemonth after last year’s Carnival, Brazil's federal public prosecutor’s office reinforced its demands for financial reparations to Cândido’s family.

Rio’s Carnival — watched by millions on local and national television broadcasts — can spark dialogue and deliver impact, said Fátima Costa de Lima, a Carnival researcher and scenic arts professor at Santa Catarina State University.

Carnival “is a great megaphone that encourages Brazilian society to discuss something often kept off the table,” Costa de Lima said.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Transgender women with the Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school rest after rehearing for the Carnival parade at the Sambodrome in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender women with the Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school rehearse for the Carnival parade at the Sambodrome in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender dancers with the Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school rehearse in heels for the Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender woman Andreia, left, greets fans during a Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school rehearsal for the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender women pose for photos before their rehearsal with the Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school for the Carnival parade near the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender woman Negriny Venture, right, talks with a transgender friend before their Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school rehearsal for Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender woman Negriny Venture dances during a Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school rehearsal for Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender woman Ariela puts make-up on before competing in a Carnival contest in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

A transgender woman waits for the start of a samba reharsal class at the Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school for the Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender woman Negriny Venture rehearses at the Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school for the Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender women Alessandra Salazary, 31, left, and Ariela hug before a Carnival contest in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender woman Alessandra Salazary, 31, gets help from her boyfriend with her dress before hosting a Carnival contest show in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo

Transgender women with the Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school wait for a rehearsal for the Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender women Negriny Venture, left, and Leticia Mamede prepare Carnival costumes for the Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school in Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender woman Vanessa Alves, 60, practices before the start of a samba class for the Carnival parade at the Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school in Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender woman Alessandra Salazary, 31, hosts a Carnival contest in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo

Transgender women take a samba class at the Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school ahead of the Carnival parade in Rio Janeiro, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Transgender woman Negriny Venture, of the Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school, prepares to rehearse for the Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)