BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is hospitalized in intensive care with pneumonia, a hospital in Brasilia said Friday, the latest health scare for the embattled ex-leader who is serving a sentence for attempting a coup.
The 70-year-old Bolsonaro was admitted to DF Star Hospital after experiencing fever, low oxygen levels, chills and sweating, according to a hospital statement. Doctors diagnosed bronchopneumonia, likely caused by aspiration, and he is currently receiving intravenous antibiotics and clinical support.
Earlier Friday, Bolsonaro’s son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, announced on X, formerly Twitter, that his father was being transferred from prison to the hospital after waking up with chills and vomiting. “I ask for prayers that it not be anything serious,” he wrote.
This is not the first time Bolsonaro has been hospitalized recently. In January, he was taken to the same hospital for brain tests after falling from his bed. He also required hospitalization after being stabbed during a campaign event in 2018.
Bolsonaro was convicted last year by Brazil’s Supreme Court of attempting to overturn the results of the 2022 election, which he lost to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He is serving a 27-year sentence. The conviction stemmed from a plot that included plans to kill Lula and other political figures, and to incite an insurrection. Bolsonaro maintains his innocence.
Despite his legal troubles, Bolsonaro’s political future remains a factor in Brazilian politics. His eldest son, Flávio Bolsonaro, is considering a run for president this year, and recent polls suggest he and Lula are in a tight race.