Brazil’s ex-President Bolsonaro is in intensive care with pneumonia, hospital says

Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro has been admitted to intensive care after being diagnosed with pneumonia, raising concerns about the 70-year-old’s health while he serves a prison sentence for attempting a coup.

Medical staff at DF Star Hospital in Brasilia confirmed Friday that Bolsonaro is receiving intravenous antibiotics and non-invasive clinical support. Dr. Brasil Caiado, one of Bolsonaro’s physicians, characterized the situation as serious, noting the particular risks pneumonia poses for patients over 70.

“Pneumonia in patients over 70 is always serious because it can progress to septicemia, since the bacteria can normally enter the bloodstream and cause an even more severe condition,” Caiado told journalists at a press briefing.

The former president was transferred from prison to the hospital after experiencing high fever, low oxygen levels, sweating, and chills. Medical examinations confirmed bronchopneumonia, likely caused by aspiration, according to the hospital statement.

Bolsonaro’s eldest son, Flávio, shared news of his father’s hospitalization on social media platform X, requesting prayers and expressing concern about his condition. The health scare comes at a politically sensitive moment, as Flávio has announced his own presidential candidacy for this year’s election, with recent polls indicating a close race between him and current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Dr. Caiado indicated that Bolsonaro would likely remain hospitalized for several days, as his antibiotic treatment requires intravenous administration that can only be properly managed in a hospital setting.

This hospitalization has intensified the ongoing debate about Bolsonaro’s incarceration conditions. His family has repeatedly petitioned Brazil’s Supreme Court to allow the former leader to serve his 27-year sentence under house arrest, claiming inadequate medical care in prison. Carlos Bolsonaro, another of the former president’s sons, made the explosive claim on X that “the system” is “literally and insistently trying to kill” his father.

The Supreme Court has consistently rejected these claims and denied requests for house arrest. In January, Bolsonaro was moved to a larger prison cell, but this has not satisfied his supporters’ concerns about his detention conditions.

This is not Bolsonaro’s first health crisis since his imprisonment. In January, he was taken to the same hospital for brain tests after reportedly falling from his bed. The former president has experienced recurring health issues since suffering a near-fatal stabbing during his 2018 presidential campaign.

Bolsonaro began serving his lengthy prison sentence after being convicted last September by a panel of Supreme Court justices on several serious charges, including leading an armed criminal organization and attempting to violently overthrow Brazil’s democratic system following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election.

The case against him detailed an alleged plot to kill President Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, as well as plans to foment an insurrection in early 2023. Throughout the legal proceedings, Bolsonaro has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing.

The judicial actions against the former president gained international attention when U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Brazil, characterizing the legal proceedings against his political ally as a “witch hunt.” Many of these trade penalties have since been rescinded.

Bolsonaro’s pneumonia diagnosis and intensive care treatment represent the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of Brazil’s most divisive political figure in recent history, whose legal troubles and health concerns continue to impact the country’s political landscape.