São Paulo, Brazil — Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro is recovering after undergoing emergency abdominal surgery on Sunday, April 13, at DF Star Hospital in the country’s capital, Brasília.
The procedure — an exploratory laparotomy — lasted 12 hours and was performed to relieve a blockage caused by a fold in his small intestine, according to doctors. The obstruction is linked to complications stemming from a near-fatal knife attack during Bolsonaro’s 2018 presidential campaign in Juiz de Fora, a city in the state of Minas Gerais.
Since the stabbing, Bolsonaro has undergone several surgeries to address lingering intestinal issues. Over time, these procedures led to the formation of adhesions — internal scar tissue — that contributed to his latest medical crisis.
During Sunday’s operation, surgeons also reinforced the abdominal wall by reconstructing the surrounding muscle tissue. Doctors have not yet provided an expected discharge date, but anticipate a slow recovery that could keep the former president hospitalized for up to four weeks.
In a post on Instagram, Michelle Bolsonaro, Brazil’s former first lady, thanked the medical team:
“Our angels on Earth! For 12 hours, God used the hands of this wonderful team to take care of my love. My eternal gratitude to this extraordinary group of doctors, whose precision, competence, and humanity made all the difference. Thank you!”
The health scare occurred just days after Bolsonaro took part in a political rally in rural Rio Grande do Norte, a northeastern state where he began to feel unwell. He was airlifted by helicopter to the state capital, Natal, and then transferred to Brasília on Saturday aboard a medical aircraft.
The incident comes at a politically sensitive time for Bolsonaro. He is a defendant in a case being tried before Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, facing charges related to an alleged coup attempt and four additional criminal counts. The hospitalization is expected to temporarily halt his ongoing efforts to rally support for an amnesty campaign aimed at absolving those involved in the January 8, 2023 attacks on government buildings in Brasília.
Bolsonaro had been traveling across Brazil’s northeast — a stronghold of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — in a bid to strengthen conservative influence in the region ahead of the 2026 elections.
Featured Image: Jair Bolsonaro hospitalized in Natal (Photo credit: Jair Bolsonaro via X)
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