Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro was hospitalized Wednesday for “routine exams” related to health issues caused by the stabbing attack that nearly claimed his life during his 2018 campaign, his lawyer said.
Bolsonaro, 68, checked into a private hospital in Sao Paulo, Vila Nova Star, where the far-right ex-army captain has previously undergone treatment.
“The objective is to evaluate his clinical condition, mainly his digestive system, intestinal tract, adhesions, abdominal hernia and reflux,” lawyer and Bolsonaro ally Fabio Wajngarten posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The hospital did not immediately reply to a request for further information from AFP.
Bolsonaro (2019-2022) has had numerous health problems since being stabbed in the abdomen at a rally during the campaign that brought him to power.
He underwent four surgeries after the attack, perpetrated by a man later deemed mentally unfit to stand trial.
The man dubbed the “Tropical Trump” has since been hospitalized multiple times for various issues stemming from the stabbing, including intestinal blockages and a severe case of the hiccups in 2021.
Bolsonaro, who was succeeded by veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in January, faces numerous investigations for corruption and abuse of office.
In June, electoral authorities barred him from running for office for eight years over his unproven claims of widespread fraud in Brazil‘s election system.
In his latest legal headache, federal police on Tuesday ordered him and his wife, Michelle, to face questioning on August 31 over allegations they tried to illegally keep and sell luxury jewelry and other expensive items received as official gifts from foreign governments during his presidency.
