Background on Jair Bolsonaro
Jair Bolsonaro, the 70-year-old former president of Brazil, left the Hospital DF Star on Thursday after a week-long hospital stay. He is set to return to his prison cell, where he serves a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup d’état.
Supreme Court Denies Bolsonaro’s Request for Home Confinement
The Brazilian Supreme Court rejected Bolsonaro’s request for home confinement due to health concerns, as reported by an AFP journalist. Bolsonaro’s legal team had sought domiciliary detention citing a “concrete risk of sudden deterioration” in his health following his recent surgery for a hernia and treatment for recurring hiccups.
Bolsonaro entered the hospital on December 24 and underwent surgery the next day. He also received treatment for hiccups, which his legal team argued worsened his health condition.
Judge Alexandre de Moraes, however, stated that there was “no aggravation of Bolsonaro’s health situation” as per the court’s decision.
Bolsonaro’s Health Condition and Legal Background
Bolsonaro has been dealing with the aftermath of a stabbing he suffered during a campaign event in 2018, requiring multiple surgeries since then. His legal team claims his health condition has worsened since the court denied a previous request for humanitarian home confinement.
His medical team reports that Bolsonaro suffers from severe sleep apnea, gastritis, and esofagitis, in addition to unusual hiccup crises. Despite this, Judge Moraes asserted that Bolsonaro’s clinical condition has shown “improvement in his discomfort” as noted by his own medical reports this week.
Family Reaction and Political Aspirations
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of the former president, criticized Judge Moraes’ decision as sarcastic and a form of “torture” for his father.
Bolsonaro previously expressed his desire for Flávio to be the right-wing candidate in the 2026 elections, aiming to challenge the likely leftist candidate, President Lula. Bolsonaro has undergone nerve-blocking procedures in recent days to address hiccups that cause vomiting and breathing difficulties, according to his family. However, these treatments have not completely stopped the hiccups.
Bolsonaro maintains his innocence regarding charges of armed criminal organization, violent overthrow of the democratic state of law, and attempted coup, for which he was convicted. The aborted coup plot even included plans to assassinate Lula, though it never came to fruition due to lack of military support.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Jair Bolsonaro? Jair Bolsonaro is the 70-year-old former president of Brazil, serving from 2019 to 2022. He is currently imprisoned for his role in an attempted coup d’état.
- Why was Bolsonaro in the hospital? Bolsonaro was hospitalized for a week due to health concerns, including a recent hernia surgery and recurring hiccups.
- What is Bolsonaro’s legal situation? Bolsonaro was convicted for attempting a coup, organizing an armed criminal group, and plotting to overthrow the democratic state of law. He is serving a 27-year sentence.
- Why did Bolsonaro leave the hospital? Bolsonaro left the hospital after his request for home confinement due to health concerns was denied by the Supreme Court.
- What is Bolsonaro’s health condition? Bolsonaro suffers from the after-effects of a 2018 stabbing and has additional health issues, including sleep apnea, gastritis, esofagitis, and hiccups. His legal team argues that his health has worsened since the court denied a previous request for humanitarian home confinement.
