Brazilian President Lula Says Head Injury That Forced Him Out of BRICS Summit Was 'Serious'

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva revealed that a head injury he sustained over the weekend and led him to cancel his presence at the BRICS summit was serious, and doctors will need several days to assess its full impact. Lula, 78, suffered a fall at his residence on Saturday, which caused a head wound requiring stitches and a small brain hemorrhage. Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is representing Brazil at the summit.

Lula acknowledged the seriousness of the injury in a phone call shared by Workers' Party politician Luiz Caetano: "I'm fine, I had an accident, but it was my own foolishness; it was serious but did not affect any delicate part," said Lula in his first comments since the accident, as reported by El Tiempo. Lula's office later clarified that he was unaware the conversation would be made public.

Due to medical advice, Lula will avoid long-haul flights for the time being, though he will participate in the summit via video conference. His schedule has otherwise remained active, with Lula meeting with top advisors on Monday to discuss domestic and international issues, posting a photo of the meeting on social media:

Lula is expected to undergo further medical exams on Tuesday as part of a care protocol. He also plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Tuesday, continuing discussions they began in September about joint efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

The BRICS summit, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday, includes leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, as well as new members Egypt, Iran, the UAE, and Ethiopia. The group will be focusing on criteria for admitting future associate members.

Spanish media outlet ABC reported on Tuesday that Lula's administration would be opposing the admission of Venezuela to the organization. The action would further escalate tensions between both countries which have been steadily deteriorating after Brazil refused to recognize Maduro as the winner of the July 28 elections, with Lula even going as far as to suggest a do-over as a way out of the crisis that currently engulfs Venezuela.