Doctors Discharge Brazilian President Lula from Hospital after Emergency Surgeries
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was discharged from a Sao Paulo hospital on Sunday, following a pair of emergency surgeries to treat and prevent bleeding in his head. The 79-year-old leftist leader, who spent most of last week at Sirio-Libanes Hospital, made a public appearance at a hospital press conference, appearing upbeat and speaking confidently.
“I’m here, whole,” Lula said. “I’m healed. I just need to take care of myself.” He expressed his eagerness to return to work as soon as possible, a sentiment supported by his medical team. However, they advised him to avoid long-haul international flights until further notice and exercise for up to a month.
Lula also commented on the Saturday arrest of Walter Braga Netto, the former defense minister and vice presidential running mate to far-right ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of plotting a coup to overturn Lula’s election win and assassinate him. “It’s unacceptable that in a generous country like Brazil we have people of high military rank plotting the death of a president,” he said.
The president’s latest health scare has raised concerns among political analysts, with some speculating that a potential succession crisis could arise within Lula’s Workers Party if he is unable to run in the 2026 election. Lula will continue his recovery at home in Sao Paulo before returning to Brasilia, but is unlikely to make the trip before next Thursday, when he is scheduled to undergo a CT scan.