Jul 14, 2021 / 08:30 PM CDT
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro speaks during a ceremony at the Planalto presidential palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — After 10 straight days of hiccups, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was admitted to a hospital Wednesday with what doctors said was an intestinal obstruction that could require surgery. They announced later that they would not operate immediately.
Bolsonaro, 66, was admitted to the Armed Forces Hospital in the capital of Brasilia in the morning and was “feeling well,” according to an initial statement that said physicians were examining his persistent hiccups.
But hours later, the president’s office said the surgeon who operated on Bolsonaro after he was stabbed in the abdomen during the 2018 presidential campaign decided to transfer him to Sao Paulo, where he underwent additional tests. By Wednesday night, the Hospital Nova Star released a statement saying the president would receive “a conservative clinical treatment,” meaning he will not go through surgery for now.