Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been hospitalised with pneumonia and is currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of a hospital in BrasÃlia, according to a statement released on Friday. Doctors treating the 70-year-old said his medical condition is serious and requires close monitoring.
Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence after being convicted for attempting a coup following the 2022 presidential election, was transferred from prison to the hospital after experiencing several worrying symptoms. According to reports, he woke up with chills and vomiting before being moved for medical evaluation.
His eldest son, Flavio Bolsonaro, shared the news earlier in the day through a post on the social media platform X, confirming that his father had been taken from prison to a hospital due to his deteriorating health. In his message, Flavio asked supporters to pray for his father and expressed hope that the illness would not prove to be severe. Flavio Bolsonaro has also indicated that he intends to run for president later this year, and recent opinion polls suggest that he is closely matched with Brazil’s current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Doctors later confirmed that Bolsonaro had developed bronchopneumonia, a form of pneumonia that can occur when bacteria enter the lungs, often due to aspiration. The DF Star Hospital in BrasÃlia stated that Bolsonaro had been admitted after suffering from high fever, chills, excessive sweating, and low oxygen levels. Medical examinations subsequently confirmed the diagnosis.
One of Bolsonaro’s doctors, cardiologist Brasil Caiado, explained that pneumonia in elderly patients is always considered a serious condition. According to him, the illness can progress to septicemia if the bacteria responsible for the infection enter the bloodstream, potentially causing more severe complications.
Hospital officials said Bolsonaro is currently receiving intravenous antibiotics and other forms of non-invasive clinical support while being closely monitored in the intensive care unit. Caiado also noted that because the treatment involves intravenous medication, it is unlikely that Bolsonaro will return to prison in the immediate future, as the therapy must be administered in a hospital environment.
The former president has been imprisoned since being convicted last year by a panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court justices for his role in attempting to overturn the country’s democratic system after losing the 2022 election. The court sentenced him to 27 years in prison after determining that he had participated in a plot aimed at reversing the election outcome.
Bolsonaro’s family members have repeatedly requested that the Supreme Court allow him to serve his sentence under house arrest instead of remaining in prison. They have argued that he has been receiving inadequate medical care and that his health condition warrants a less restrictive arrangement.
In January, Bolsonaro had already been moved to a larger prison cell following concerns raised by his relatives about his wellbeing. However, the Supreme Court has rejected requests to permit house arrest and has denied allegations that the former president is being mistreated in custody.
On Friday, another of Bolsonaro’s sons, Carlos Bolsonaro, also posted a message on X accusing the system of attempting to harm his father. He wrote that authorities were repeatedly trying to kill the former president through neglect or mistreatment. The court has dismissed such claims and maintained that Bolsonaro is receiving appropriate care while serving his sentence.
Bolsonaro has experienced multiple health issues in recent years, particularly after he was stabbed during a campaign event in 2018 before winning the presidential election that year. Since that incident, he has undergone several medical procedures and hospitalisations related to complications from the attack.
Earlier this year, in January, police escorted Bolsonaro to the same hospital for neurological tests after he reportedly fell from his bed while in prison. The visit was part of routine medical evaluation following the incident.
The former president’s imprisonment stems from his conviction in September, when he and several of his allies were found guilty of attempting to undermine Brazil’s democratic order after his electoral defeat in 2022. Investigators concluded that the conspiracy included plans to eliminate key political figures, including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Authorities also said the plot involved efforts to incite a broader uprising aimed at overturning the election results and destabilising the country’s democratic institutions in early 2023. Bolsonaro was convicted on several charges, including leading an armed criminal organisation and attempting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law.
Despite the court’s ruling, Bolsonaro has consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing and continues to reject claims that he participated in any attempt to undermine Brazil’s democratic system.
