The President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, was hospitalized this week following a prolonged bout of hiccups that reportedly did not let up for ten days.
Bolsonaro, who is 66, was admitted to hospital in order to ascertain the cause of the hiccups and to check up on his health in general. He was first hospitalized in the capital city of Brasilia but was then transferred to another institution in Sao Paulo after it was discovered that he was suffering from an intestinal blockage. He was treated by Dr. Antonio Maccado, who also treated him three years ago after he was stabbed in the runup to the presidential elections.
Bolsonaro has continued to provide updates on his health via his Facebook account and thanked his supporters for their prayers on his behalf. He also wrote that his present condition was caused by the abovementioned attempt to murder him several years ago.
On Friday, the President wrote that he was feeling much better and that he would be released soon. However, as of Saturday night, he was still in hospital, writing that, “I can’t wait to get back to work.”
In recent weeks, Bolsonaro has been dealing with intense criticism of his handling of the coronavirus epidemic, with mass demonstrations taking place against him. Parallel to this, an investigation has begun into possible corrupt handling of Brazil’s acquisition of coronavirus vaccines, in which Bolsonaro is personally implicated.