MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolsonaro's mother dies while the President was on tour in Suriname

”May God welcome you in his infinite goodness. At this moment I am preparing to return to Brazil”, wrote Bolsonaro on Twitter

Olinda Bonturi Bolsonaro, the mother of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, has died early Friday in the city of São Paulo after being hospitalized last Monday. She was 94.

“With regret [I announce] the passing of my dear mother. May God welcome you in his infinite goodness. At this moment I am preparing to return to Brazil”, wrote Bolsonaro on Twitter from Suriname.

Mrs Bolsonaro lived in Eldorado, in the State of São Paulo, where the president was raised, but needed hospitalization earlier this weeks for health reasons which remained undisclosed, like her cause of death.

President Bolsonaro had in Suriname Thursday, where he met with President Chandrikapersad Santokhi. He was to travel to Guyana Friday.

Brazilian Women's Minister Damares Alves has posted on Twitter a message of support to the President: “Praying now for our President and family. Dona Olinda Bolsonaro, the mother he loved and honored so much, went to heaven. May God console the whole family. You were an extraordinary son President. Go Michelle! Go boys! Rest in peace Dona Olinda!” she wrote.

Olinda Bonturi Bolsonaro stemmed from a family of Italian immigrants. With her husband, Percy Geraldo Bolsonaro, who died in 1995, she had seven children – Jair is the third.

Mrs Bolsonaro had been admitted at Hospital São João, in Registro (SP), since Monday (17) with no further information available as to her health status. In fact, her admission hospitalization was only confirmed Thursday by São João's general practitioner Petrônio Bezerra dos Santos.

Eldorado, where Mrs Bolsonaro used to live, is approximately 52 kilometers away from Registro and does not have any large medical facility. Doctor Bezerra dos Santos would not comment on Mrs Bolsonaro's health, on the grounds that that kind of information required the family's green light to be made public. But in mentioning the family and not the patient herself Doctor

Bezerra dos Santos sort of hinted Mrs Bolsonaro was already not conscious by Thursday to make such a decision.