Bolsonaro Hospitalized In Florida After His Supporters Storm Government Buildings In Brazil

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was hospitalized in Florida on Monday due to intestinal pains as the government continues to grapple with his supporters storming three key government buildings in an attempt to instigate a coup.

Bolsonaro was brought to an Orlando hospital on Monday, with his wife Michelle Bolsonaro posting online that he was currently suffering from “abdominal discomfort resulting from the aftermath of the stab wound he received in 2018 from a former member of the PSOL,” according to Al-Jazeera.

Doctors have confirmed that the pains are not overly-serious and that he will likely not need surgery for it. The stabbing which caused the pains reportedly came from a 2018 incident during a campaign rally which left him in intensive care for weeks at the time. The stabbing has forced him to be in and out of hospitals for years since.

This hospitalization comes as Bolsonaro supporters in Brazil are being arrested for their actions in storming Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Presidential Palace in Brasilia in an attempt to instigate a coup to remove President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and install Bolsonaro as the country’s leader, Reuters reported.

Brazilian authorities have taken to wide-ranging actions to address the problems in the situation, including arresting thousands of the supporters between Sunday and Monday, as well as dismantling an encampment near Brasilia’s military base that has been there for two months.

While Bolsonaro does not seem to be involved at the planning of the government buildings’ storming, many people are questioning his stay in the United States as they believe that he is attempting to escape from potential consequences for ongoing investigations against him. He reportedly used a visa specific for heads of state and diplomats.

The United States government has not commented about Bolsonaro’s visa, while U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that he would need to depart from the country after 30 days unless he plans to change his immigration status.