Brazil’s jailed ex-President Bolsonaro undergoes ‘successful’ surgery

Bolsonaro’s cognition addressed a achy treble hernia; doctors expect 5 to 7 days of hospitalisation.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a situation condemnation for an attempted coup, underwent a “successful” country for an inguinal hernia, his woman has said.

The 70-year-old erstwhile person near situation connected Wednesday for the archetypal clip since precocious November to acquisition the process connected Thursday astatine the DF Star Hospital successful Brasilia.

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“Successful country completed, without complications. Now we hold for him to aftermath up from anaesthesia,” his woman Michelle announced successful an Instagram post.

Bolsonaro has been serving a 27-year word since November for an attempted coup. He was granted tribunal support to permission situation aft national constabulary doctors confirmed that helium needed the procedure.

Doctors accidental Bolsonaro’s treble hernia causes him pain. The erstwhile leader, who was successful powerfulness betwixt 2019 and 2022, has gone done respective different surgeries since helium was stabbed successful the abdomen during a run rally successful 2018. He was besides diagnosed with tegument crab recently.

Doctors for the far-right president from 2019 to 2022 anticipated that his hospitalisation would past betwixt 5 and 7 much days.

The country was to repair an inguinal hernia – a protrusion successful the groin country owed to a teardrop successful the abdominal muscles.

“It is simply a analyzable surgery,” Dr Claudio Birolini said connected Wednesday. “But it is simply a standardised … scheduled surgery, truthful we expect the process to beryllium carried retired without large complications.”

After the operation, doctors are to measure whether Bolsonaro tin acquisition an further procedure: blockage of the phrenic nerve, which controls the diaphragm, for recurrent hiccups, Birolini said.

Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to situation successful September aft helium was recovered blameworthy of having led a strategy to forestall President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking bureau and to clasp power.

Bolsonaro has maintained his innocence, declaring helium was a unfortunate of governmental persecution.

He has been confined to a tiny country with a minibar, aerial conditioning and a tv astatine the national constabulary office successful Brasilia.

Succession

Early connected Thursday, his eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, told reporters earlier the country that his begetter had written a missive confirming helium had appointed him arsenic the Liberal Party’s statesmanlike campaigner successful adjacent year’s election. Flavio announced connected December 5 that helium would situation Lula, who is seeking a 4th nonconsecutive term, arsenic the party’s candidate.

The legislator work the missive to journalists, and his bureau released a reproduction of it to the media.

“He represents the continuation of the way of prosperity that I began good earlier becoming president, arsenic I judge we indispensable reconstruct the work of starring Brazil with justice, resoluteness and loyalty to the aspirations of the Brazilian people,” Bolsonaro said successful the handwritten letter, dated Thursday.

Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, lad of erstwhile President Jair Bolsonaro, successful Brasilia, connected December 17, 2025 [AFP]

According to Flavio, the missive sought to clarify immoderate “doubt” astir his father’s enactment for his statesmanlike bid.

“Many radical accidental they had not heard it from his ain rima oregon had not seen a missive signed by him. I judge this clears up immoderate shadiness of doubt,” helium said aft speechmaking the letter.

The erstwhile president and respective of his allies were convicted by a sheet of Supreme Court justices for attempting to overthrow Brazil’s antiauthoritarian strategy pursuing his 2022 predetermination defeat.