Doctors warn of slow recovery for Bolsonaro after gut surgery

By Lisandra Paraguassu and Isabel Teles

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro began a delicate recovery in intensive care on Monday after a tricky 12-hour surgery for recurring intestinal issues since he was stabbed while campaigning in 2018.

The 70-year-old conservative was awake and showed good progress in his recovery at the intensive care unit, doctors said on Monday afternoon. Bolsonaro also began walking with assistance, they said in a medical note.

Earlier in the day, doctors at the DF Star Hospital, in Brasilia, told journalists that Bolsonaro was expected to have a slow recovery from what was his sixth surgery since the stabbing. There was no estimate for when Bolsonaro could be discharged from the intensive care unit.

The former president was hospitalized on Friday after experiencing strong abdominal pains during an event with supporters in northeastern Brazil, forcing him to break off a regional tour to drum up support ahead of a trial before the Supreme Court.

Bolsonaro is charged with plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election. His efforts in that campaign to sow doubts about Brazil's voting system led his supporters to storm government buildings in January 2023, calling for military intervention.

As a result of his efforts to discredit Brazil's voting system, Brazil's top electoral court banned Bolsonaro from running for office until 2030. He insists he is mounting a campaign to challenge leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose popularity has slipped amid high inflation.

Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing and called his upcoming trial an example of left-wing "lawfare" targeting conservative leaders like himself and France's Marine Le Pen.

The hard-right leader was touring Brazil to shore up his political base and call for Congress to pass an amnesty bill for his supporters who were arrested during the capital riots.

Lawmaker Sostenes Cavalcante, a member of Bolsonaro's conservative Liberal Party, said he was confident of majority support for the bill and hoped congressional leaders would schedule a vote in solidarity with the ex-president.

Doctors said Sunday's operation was difficult due to Bolsonaro's prior surgeries and stab wound, but there were no unexpected complications and the result was satisfactory. They said hospital visits for now should be limited to family.

"At the moment, there is still no forecast for my discharge," Bolsonaro said in a social media post on Monday. "A big hug to everyone and I repeat: we'll be back!"