Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro underwent double hernia surgery on Thursday at a hospital in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, according to his family. The procedure, which lasted approximately three and a half hours, was completed without any complications.
Bolsonaro has been hospitalized since Wednesday and is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence that he received in November for attempting a coup against the government. He was granted permission by the court to leave prison following confirmation by federal police doctors that he required the surgical procedure due to pain caused by a double hernia. This is not the first time Bolsonaro has faced health issues; he has undergone multiple surgeries since being stabbed in the abdomen during a campaign rally in 2018.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw Bolsonaro's coup trial and issued the lengthy prison sentence, authorized the necessary surgery. However, he denied a request from Bolsonaro for house arrest following his release from the hospital.
While incarcerated, Bolsonaro has limited contact with fellow inmates at the federal police headquarters in Brasilia, where he resides in a 12-square-meter (approximately 130-square-foot) room equipped with a bed, private bathroom, air conditioning, television, and a desk, as stated by authorities. He has unrestricted access to his doctors and lawyers, though visits from other individuals require approval from the Supreme Court. On the day before his surgery, de Moraes allowed Bolsonaro's sons to visit him in the hospital, and his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, has been by his side during his recovery.
Before the surgery on Thursday morning, his eldest son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, informed reporters that his father had written a letter declaring him the presidential candidate of his political party for the upcoming election scheduled for next year. Flávio Bolsonaro had announced on December 5 that he would challenge President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is campaigning for a fourth nonconsecutive term as the candidate of Bolsonaro's Liberal Party.
In the handwritten letter, dated December 25, Bolsonaro emphasized his son's role by stating, "He represents the continuation of the path of prosperity that I began well before becoming president." He expressed his belief in the need to lead Brazil with justice, resolve, and loyalty to the aspirations of the Brazilian people.
Bolsonaro and several of his associates were convicted by a Supreme Court panel for their attempted coup, which aimed to overthrow Brazil's democratic system following his defeat in the 2022 elections. The scheme included threats against key political figures, such as Lula and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, as well as plans to instigate an insurrection in early 2023.
Moreover, Bolsonaro faces multiple charges, including leading an armed criminal organization and attempting to violently abolish democratic rule. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to these accusations.
