Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has successfully undergone double hernia surgery while serving a 27-year prison sentence for coup-plotting convictions. The 70-year-old leader was temporarily transferred from his federal police headquarters detention facility to a Brasília hospital under authorization from Brazil’s Supreme Court.
From his hospital bed, Bolsonaro issued a significant political endorsement through a handwritten letter read aloud by his eldest son, Flávio Bolsonaro. The document formally backs the 44-year-old senator’s presidential bid for the 2026 election under the Liberal Party banner. “I hand over what is most important in the life of a father – my own son for the mission of rescuing our country, Brazil,” the former president wrote, describing his personal sacrifices for the nation.
The endorsement solidifies the continuation of Bolsonaro’s political movement despite his incarceration. Flávio Bolsonaro had previously announced his presidential ambitions earlier this month, but the handwritten confirmation provides official legitimacy to his campaign.
This development sets the stage for a potential electoral rematch, as incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has already declared his intention to seek reelection. The 2022 presidential contest culminated in a narrow victory for Lula that Bolsonaro refused to acknowledge, leading to the January 8, 2023 storming of government buildings by his supporters and subsequent convictions for attempting to subvert democratic processes.
Despite his imprisonment, Bolsonaro maintains considerable political influence. Last week, Brazil’s Congress passed legislation that would substantially reduce his sentence, though President Lula has vowed to exercise his veto power against the measure. Medical professionals will determine when the former president can be returned to federal custody following his surgical recovery.