Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro Hospitalized With Pneumonia While Serving Prison Sentence

Bolsonaro Hospitalized With Pneumonia

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is fighting pneumonia and is now undergoing treatment in an intensive care unit, according to a hospital in Brasilia, which released the news on Friday. Brasil Caiado's physician told reporters the 70-year-old's health had taken a turn for the worse. "Pneumonia in those over seventy is always a serious matter," Caiado explained, "because it can lead to septicemia, where bacteria enter the bloodstream and make things much worse." Earlier that day, Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president's eldest son, posted on X to share the news: his father was being transferred from prison to a hospital. He'd been feeling unwell, waking up with chills and vomiting. "I ask for prayers that it will not be anything serious," Flávio added. Flávio Bolsonaro has announced that he will run for president this year, and recent polls show him and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva nearly matched.

Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup, having been convicted by a panel of Supreme Court justices last year. He was admitted to the hospital after feeling a high fever, low oxygen, sweating, and chills, according to a statement from DF Star Hospital. Exams revealed bronchopneumonia, a kind of pneumonia that was most likely caused by aspiration.

Treatment and Prison Conditions

"He is currently hospitalized in the intensive care unit, receiving IV antibiotics and non-invasive clinical support," stated a hospital spokesperson. Caiado, a cardiologist, said Bolsonaro was unlikely to return to prison within the next few days because the medicine is intravenous and must be administered in a hospital setting. The controversial ex-leader was transferred to a larger cell in January, but his family has repeatedly petitioned the Supreme Court to enable Bolsonaro to serve his term at home. Concerns are mounting regarding his treatment and the absence of adequate medical care. Carlos Bolsonaro, the son of a former president, took to X on Friday, claiming that "the system, literally and insistently, (is) trying to kill" his father. The Court rejected Bolsonaro's claims, ruling against his plea for house arrest.

Background: Legal Cases and Political Fallout

Bolsonaro has been hospitalized several times since being stabbed during a campaign rally prior to the 2018 presidential election. In January, cops escorted him to the same hospital for brain testing after he fell out of bed.

Bolsonaro and some of his allies were convicted in September of attempting to disrupt Brazil's democratic system after losing the 2022 presidential race. The scheme included plots to assassinate Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. There was reportedly a plan to incite an insurrection in early 2023.

Bolsonaro was also convicted on counts of directing an armed criminal organization and aiming to violently abolish the democratic rule of law. He's denied any misconduct.

His trial gained further global notoriety when President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Brazil. Trump, in a move he labelled a "witch hunt," pointed to the legal proceedings targeting his ally. Most of those tariffs have since been rescinded.