Former Brazil President Bolsonaro hospitalized with abdominal pain
World
Former Brazil President Bolsonaro hospitalized with abdominal pain
(Reuters) - Former President Jair Bolsonaro was hospitalized on Friday in northeast Brazil with abdominal pain, breaking off a regional tour aimed at drumming up political support as he prepares for a trial before the Supreme Court.
The former president interrupted a political event with supporters in the state of Rio Grande do Norte after feeling "strong" pain and was taken via helicopter to a hospital in the state capital Natal, his political party said in a note.
Bolsonaro will undergo scans to determine whether an intestinal obstruction will require surgery, his doctor Antonio Macedo told Reuters. If surgery is needed, Bolsonaro could be transferred to Sao Paulo, where he has undergone procedures related to a stabbing attack ahead of the 2018 election.
The former president is stable and pain free after receiving care, the hospital said in a statement.
Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who served as president from 2019 to 2022, has been campaigning around Brazil for Congress to pass an amnesty bill for his supporters who stormed the capital Brasilia after he lost the 2022 election.
Brazil's Supreme Court decided last month to put Bolsonaro on trial for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the government after that electoral loss. He has denied any wrongdoing and called the trial an example of left-wing "lawfare" targeting conservative leaders like himself and France's Marine Le Pen.
Bolsonaro has already been banned from running for office until 2030 for discrediting the country's voting system. If the Supreme Court finds him guilty, he could face a long prison sentence.
