Bolsonaro hospitalized for routine check ups

Bolsonaro hospitalized for ‘routine check-ups’

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was hospitalized in Sao Paulo on Wednesday for “routine checks” related to the aftermath of the 2018 knife attack, his lawyer said.

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“The purpose of these examinations is to assess his clinical condition, in particular his digestive system, gastrointestinal tract, adhesions and abdominal hernia,” explained Fabio Wajngarten on Twitter, renamed X.

The Nova Star private clinic, where the former far-right president is hospitalized, did not immediately respond to inquiries from AFP.

Jair Bolsonaro, 68, has suffered from numerous health problems since he was stabbed in the stomach in September 2018 during a presidential campaign walkabout that he eventually won.

The aftermath meant that he had to undergo multiple surgeries throughout his tenure, particularly for intestinal passages or tissue adhesions.

Jair Bolsonaro was defeated by current left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in his bid for re-election in October and left office at the end of the year.

He is the subject of several investigations and was sentenced in June to an eight-year ban for spreading false information about the electoral system.

The former head of state is also the target of a police investigation into alleged embezzlement of gifts from abroad, particularly jewelry resold by close associates for his “illicit gain”.

He and his wife Michelle Bolsonaro will be heard by the federal police on August 31.

According to the Brazilian Court of Accounts, the head of state may only keep gifts that are “of a highly personal nature or of minimal monetary value” at the end of his term of office.