Ex-Brazilian President Bolsonaro Moved from ICU as Health Improves

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been transferred from intensive care to a semi-intensive unit after his pneumonia symptoms improved. The 70-year-old politician is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup attempt in 2023.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s health has taken a turn for the better, allowing doctors to move him from intensive care to a less critical unit at a Brasilia hospital, according to his wife Michelle Bolsonaro.

The 70-year-old ex-president showed significant improvement over a 24-hour period, with medical tests revealing decreased inflammation levels since his admission to the ICU on Friday due to pneumonia complications, Michelle Bolsonaro announced on her Instagram account.

“We remain confident he will overcome this moment too,” Michelle Bolsonaro said.

Medical staff at DF Star hospital reported on Sunday that Bolsonaro’s kidney function had shown improvement, though they had planned to keep him in intensive care due to his pneumonia diagnosis. The hospital has not yet issued a statement regarding his move to the semi-intensive care unit.

The former president, who held office from 2019 to 2022, was brought to the medical facility on Friday from the correctional facility where he is currently incarcerated, serving a 27-year term for orchestrating a coup attempt in 2023.

The controversial former leader was moved from the federal police headquarters to an expanded cell in January. Bolsonaro’s family members and political supporters have made numerous appeals to Brazil’s Supreme Court requesting permission for him to complete his sentence under home confinement.

This hospitalization marks another in a series of medical episodes for the right-wing politician, who has required hospital care on several occasions following a stabbing incident during a campaign rally prior to the 2018 presidential race.

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president’s son, is anticipated to launch a presidential campaign this year, challenging current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Jair Bolsonaro faces convictions on multiple charges, including orchestrating an armed criminal organization and attempting to violently dismantle democratic institutions. The former president maintains his innocence regarding all accusations.