Bolsonaro surgery takes longer than expected

Former President Jair Bolsonaro was subjected to a surgical procedure this Sunday in Brasilia due to the persistence of the intestinal sub-eventure.

The surgery started at 08:30 am and was scheduled to last six hours, but is taking longer than the estimated, the Federal Deputy Sostenes Cavalcante (PL-RJ) told Reuters, one of the former president’s main allies. “But the information I have is that everything is going well,” he added.

Bolsonaro, 70, was hospitalized on Friday after experiencing severe abdominal pain on Friday when he was visiting in the interior of Rio Grande do Norte, as part of a spin from various locations in the country to raise political support. He was transferred to Brasilia, where he resides on Saturday night.

“After clinical-surgical reassessment (Bolsonaro) underwent new laboratory and image examinations that showed persistence of the intestinal sub-eventure framework, despite the initial measures adopted. The assisting teams opted for common agreement by surgical treatment,” said the medical report released earlier on Sunday by DF Star.

“It is currently being subjected to the surgical procedure of exploiting laparotomy, for release of intestinal adhesions and reconstruction of the abdominal wall,” said the bulletin, released around 11am. Doctor Claudio Birolini heads the surgical team.

The former president has suffered other episodes of intestinal obstruction in recent years, which his doctors have pointed out to be a consequence of surgeries in the abdominal region to which he was stabbed in 2018 in Juiz de Fora (MG) during a campaign in that year’s presidential election-won by him.

He has been campaigning in Brazil for Congress to take advantage of an amnesty bill for its supporters who invaded the capital after he lost the 2022 election.

In a message to allies before surgery, the former president criticized the punishment against a supporter who could be sentenced to 10 years in prison, and again asked Congress to enjoy amnesty project.

“God enlightens each of the 513 deputies and 81 senators in their votes. If with our decisions we have paved our eternity, this vote has a capital weight.”

Last month, the former president became a defendant before the Supreme Federal Court (STF) accused of leading an attempt to coup after being defeated in the 2022 presidential election.

The complaint positions Bolsonaro as the leader of a criminal organization who acted to counteract the outcome of the polls after the defeat of the then president in the 2022 election to now President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

He has denied any irregularity and called the process of an example of “clear judicial activism of the left” against conservative leaders like him and the French Marine Le Pen.

In addition to this and other cases he still faces in the Supreme Court, Bolsonaro is also ineligible by 2030 due to two convictions in the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) for abuse of political power in the 2022 election campaign.