Brazil's Bolsonaro recovers in hospital, no surgery planned

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is recovering in a Sao Paulo hospital, where he is treated for an intestinal obstruction

Brazil Bolsonaro (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was recovering in a Sao Paulo hospital Thursday after being rushed for treatment of intestinal obstruction, but is unlikely to need surgery, the president’s son Flavio said on his official Twitter account.

The president's office said in a statement that the president was doing better and that his clinical and laboratory results were “satisfactory,” but it gave no expected discharge date. The statement, signed by the president's doctors, did not mention surgery.

Bolsonaro, 66, was admitted to a hospital in Brasilia, the capital city, on Wednesday with abdominal pain, and following days marred with chronic hiccups.

He was transferred to a Sao Paulo hospital later in the day after consulting with the surgeon who operated him in 2018 after Bolsonaro was stabbed in the abdomen on the campaign trail. His doctors said they needed to do further exams to evaluate whether there was a need for an emergency surgery.

In recent weeks, Bolsonaro has appeared to struggle with speaking at times and said he suffered from hiccups that could go uninterrupted for days.

His hospitalization occurs at a moment that pressure has been mounting. A congressional committee is investigating his administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with witnesses alleging corruption in the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines, and recent polls have shown low approval ratings and indications that he risks losing next year’s election.