Brasilia, Brazil — Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was last week convicted of leading an attempted coup, has now been diagnosed with skin cancer, his medical team revealed on Wednesday.
The 70-year-old far-right leader was discharged from DF Star Hospital in Brasilia after being rushed in under prison guard on Tuesday. He had reportedly suffered from violent hiccups, vomiting, dehydration, anemia, kidney strain, and low blood pressure before receiving emergency treatment.
Doctors later confirmed that Bolsonaro had two skin lesions tested positive for squamous cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer classified as “intermediate”—not the most benign, yet not the most aggressive. His physician, Dr. Claudio Birolini, noted that no further treatment was necessary at this time since the lesions had been surgically removed.
Longstanding Health Issues
Bolsonaro’s health problems trace back to a 2018 assassination attempt, when he was stabbed in the abdomen during a presidential campaign rally. The injury left him with long-term complications and multiple surgeries over the years. His frequent hospital visits became more common during the judicial proceedings against him, and he even missed key sessions of his trial due to illness.
Political Fallout
The cancer diagnosis comes just days after Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for allegedly plotting to overthrow his political rival, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated him in the 2022 elections. Prosecutors accused Bolsonaro and his allies of planning to assassinate Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The alleged coup attempt reportedly collapsed after failing to gain support from military leaders.
Bolsonaro’s legal team has vowed to appeal the conviction, and his supporters continue to describe the case as a political witch hunt. For now, the former president remains under house arrest in Brasilia, though his declining health may strengthen calls for him to serve any eventual sentence at home.
International Reactions
The conviction has strained Brazil’s ties with the United States, where former U.S. President Donald Trump, a close Bolsonaro ally, condemned the verdict as a “witch hunt.” The rift widened after the Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports and sanctioned top Brazilian officials. Current U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned this week that further measures could be taken to pressure Brazil over Bolsonaro’s case