MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Surgery recommended for Bolsonaro after ultrasound

Bolsonaro's lawyers will seek clearance to have the former President transferred to a hospital for the procedures

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been recommended for surgery after an ultrasound conducted on Sunday confirmed he was suffering from two inguinal hernias, his defense team announced.

The examination was performed inside the Federal Police (PF) Headquarters in the Federal District, where the retired Army captain is serving a sentence of over 27 years in jail.

“The medical team has just left the Federal Police Headquarters after performing ultrasound exams on Pr. Jair Bolsonaro. The exams identified two inguinal hernias, and the doctors recommended that he undergo surgery, the only definitive treatment for the condition,” wrote lawyer João Henrique Nascimento de Freitas on social media.

Inguinal hernias involve the displacement of part of the intestine or abdominal tissue through an opening in the groin, often causing pain.

Following the diagnosis, another member of the former president’s legal team, Paulo Cunha Bueno, confirmed that the defense will renew its request on Monday for judicial authorization for Bolsonaro to be hospitalized to undergo the surgical procedure.

The ultrasound was authorized by Supreme Federal Court (STF) Minister Alexandre De Moraes on Friday, allowing Dr. Bruno Luís Barbosa Cherulli to enter the facility with portable equipment to examine the former president's groin.

The request for the ultrasound was made last week after De Moraes had rejected an earlier request for surgery, stating that the supporting medical documents were outdated, giving the Federal Police 15 days to conduct an official medical assessment to determine the need for immediate surgery.

Bolsonaro has been imprisoned since November 22, initially under preventive detention related to a vigil incident, and is now serving his sentence following the final judgment in the case concerning the coup plot.

In related news, De Moraes denied a separate request from Bolsonaro's lawyers concerning changes to visitation rules. The defense had sought to simplify the process by allowing only former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro and the former president’s children to be permanently registered with the Federal Police, thereby eliminating the need for repetitive weekly judicial authorization for their visits.

De Moraes turned down the proposal, claiming there was “no reasonable reason for changes” to current procedures requiring judicial permission for all visits.