Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro diagnosed with skin cancer
The ex-president was recently sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election
Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro, convicted last week of leading an attempted coup, has been diagnosed with skin cancer, his doctor said on Wednesday.
The announcement came as the beleaguered far-right leader, 70, was discharged from a hospital in the capital, Brasilia, where he was rushed under prison guard on Tuesday after suffering violent bouts of hiccups, vomiting and low blood pressure.
Bolsonaro has had multiple health issues and operations in recent years due to complications following a 2018 stabbing in his abdomen while campaigning for president.
The latest episode comes after his conviction last week on charges that he plotted to overthrow leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who beat him in the 2022 presidential election.
Bolsonaro’s lawyers have said they will appeal the conviction for which he was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
Brazilian legislators are also pressing for Bolsonaro to be included in an amnesty bill that would benefit those who took part in the uprising, but the bill faces an uphill battle for legislative approval and could be subject to a presidential veto.